Artemis guides us all
by sasha272
Summary: Lara received an invitation for the 5-year reunion of the Sisters of Artemis, her archery club in college. What was supposed to be just a fun night with her wife Sam and some of her old friends, quickly turned into a business deal when the former president of the club asked her to translate a manuscript. As always, things took a turn for the worst when a mysterious organization for
1. Chapter 1

**A/N : In my Kaleidoscope of our life together – The Croft Legacy universe.**

 **I still write the story but my current love/hate relationship with the TR franchise prevents me to work on it at moment. I'm currently playing Assassin's Creed Odyssey instead and I'm in love with Kassandra, she is everything Lara could have been in Shadow but alas…**

 **Anyway, my inspiration somehow came back with a crossover of the two games, it seems like I need to associate the positivity of ACO with Sam and Lara to write something and I don't know, here's what came out of it. Don't know the AC franchise well, I just did with the knowledge I had so bear with me if it's not completely accurate, I needed it to fit the narrative.**

 **Set soon after they got married, not yet discussing seriously about having a child.**

 **No beta, all mistakes are mine. Let me know what you think**.

* * *

Sam was finally home after an excruciating day in London, stuck in a business meeting that dragged on for hours just for a stupid network to decide if they wanted one or a couple of her documentaries. She grabbed the mail on her way to the front door before entering the manor. "Honey, I'm home!" She shouted as usual, to let her wife know she was back. Knowing Lara would join her soon, she kicked off her shoes, threw her stuff on the side table in the foyer and made her way to the couch, sprawling on it as she skipped through the mail. "Trash, Trash, bills, ohhh this looks interesting." She stopped as a letter with a familiar logo piqued her interest. "Babe, you have a letter from the Sisters of Artemis."

As if on cue, Lara walked out of the kitchen and toward the foyer. "What does it say?" She kissed her wife's forehead tenderly before lifting up Sam's feet to sit on the couch next to her, settling them back on her lap.

"Wait…" Sam swiftly opened the envelop and read. " _'You are cordially invited to the 5-year reunion of the sisters of Artemis at the Jeffery Hall, UCL 20 Bedford Way on…_ 'Oohhh that's so great!"

"Has it been five years already?" Lara grabbed the invitation and looked at it.

The filmmaker nodded. "Time flies when you're having fun and crossing death's path on regular basis."

Lara rolled her eyes. "Ah ah very funny."

"I know, I'm a comedian." Sam smiled proudly before turning serious. "Do you wanna go?"

"I don't know…" The archaeologist trailed off as she kept staring at the piece of paper. "I haven't seen them in ages."

"5 years, it's written there." Sam tapped the invitation before giggling when Lara tickled her foot. "It could be nice. I mean, you are rich, officially that is, successful, you have a hot wife; it could be worse. I know people who went to high school reunion with far less than that."

"It's not that..." Lara shook her head. "Yes, I am proud of my career and…"

"Me, your wife." The older woman winked.

Lara chuckled. "And proud to have married such a beautiful, talented, smart and _humble_ woman. Is that what you want to hear?"

The producer raised her hands innocently. "Your words not mine."

Lara smiled fondly before focusing back on the invitation in her hands. "What I mean is, I wouldn't know what to say to them."

"Sweetie, you never know what to say to people in social gathering …" Sam giggled and wiggled away as Lara tried to tickle her again for her comment. "But here it's different. A lot of them were studying history, old languages, paleontology… I mean, you can easily find topics that are in your comfort zone. It could be good for us to see other people and forget about ruins and tombs and documentaries for one night."

The British woman hummed. "Are you sure you don't want to go just to brag about our lives and find out what they have become?"

Sam gasped, putting her hand to her heart as if she had been hurt. "Me?"

Lara laughed at her wife's antics. "Yes, you!"

"I don't… but if it was the case, I don't see why either of those things should be exclusive." Sam shrugged nonchalantly.

"Oh right, especially when the one inviting us was the president of the club, Katherine Makris, with whom you had a feud." The archaeologist raised an eyebrow, amused.

The filmmaker snorted. "A feud? What is this, Shakespeare?"

"You almost threw a drink at her face once," Lara reminded her. "And if I hadn't been there to stop you, you could have been in trouble. She had a lot of connections."

"Well, that's my problem with her, or was, whatever tense you want to use." Sam moved to sit up. "She acted like a Queen Bee that owned the place, only talking to who she deemed worthy of her attention. She used to talk to you because your name is money and despite my parents' fortune, she always treated me like I was trash and a bad influence on you."

"Well…" The Englishwoman smiled teasingly.

Sam grabbed the pillow to her right and slammed it on Lara's head. "I pushed you out of your shell a bit, it's not like I forced you to do drugs or rob a bank."

"I know." Lara put a reassuring hand on her wife's thigh. "I was just teasing. I just… I've never cared much about her. I spent most of my time focusing on archery and the only people I really talked to were Tara, Jasmine, and Alyson."

"But at least they were nice and not condescending." Sam hugged the pillow against her and sighed.

"Maybe she has changed?"

"Yeah right…" The producer answered sarcastically.

"We have..." Lara stated.

"I know. And in the end, I wouldn't change a thing because it brought us together." Sam softened a little before continuing. "But we're not her and we were never mighty bitches in the first place. It's weird because her sister was such a sweetheart, I guess she lost at the genetic lottery."

Lara grabbed her wife's hand in hers. "Why do you want to go then?"

"I don't know," Sam started playing with Lara's fingers. "I'm just curious and as you said, you had a few friends, it wouldn't hurt to catch up with them." She shrugged.

The archaeologist looked at her wife as she pondered her answer. "Okay, we'll go then."

The filmmaker lit up. "Really?"

"Yes, really," Lara kissed Sam's nose before standing up. "You can even rsvp yourself if you want."

"Yes! I'm gonna use our family business card, the one with the gold letters and the Croft crest. AH AH, in your face Katherine!" Sam smiled wickedly until she noticed her wife's face. "What? Let your girl have some fun will you!"

"Whatever makes you happy, love." Lara chuckled. "Now let's go eat." She offered her hand to help Sam rise from the couch.

"Yes, I'm starving!"

* * *

A month later, Sam and Lara were getting ready in the master room before the big reunion with the Sisters of Artemis.

"So, what do you want me to say if they ask about Yamatai?" Sam asked, fixing her hair in front of the dressing table while Lara was buttoning up her blouse.

Lara lifted her head to look at her wife. "Why would they ask about Yamatai?"

"Because it was all over the tabloids at some point, you know, before we stirred away from our cray-cray image to become respected professionals in our respective fields."

The archaeologist removed her hair tie and moved behind her wife to check her hair in the mirror. "I guess we'll just give them the answer that we agreed on every time someone from the press brings up the subject and then change topic."

Sam nodded. "Okay, PR answer then bragging, got it."

"Sam!" Lara shoved her gently before grabbing her hairbrush.

"What? I practiced my speech, you're gonna love it!" The filmmaker smiled cheekily.

The Englishwoman stopped brushing her hair. "Oh god, now I'm scared."

"You should be." Sam giggled before taking pity on her wife. "I'm kidding, I'll be on my best behavior."

"I don't want to make a scene. Either we like it or not, we have a bit of a notoriety and it could easily end up in the tabloids." Lara declared. "Let's just shake some hands, talk for a while then leave."

The producer raised an eyebrow, staring at her wife through the reflection in the mirror. "So you want me to be your arm candy?"

"No, I want you to be yourself." Lara kissed the top of Sam's head. "Just stay away from beer bottles!"

Sam laughed and turned around to slap Lara's bottom as she walked away. "Ass!"

The taller woman chuckled before saying. "We should go if we don't want to be late."

"Yes, let's get this party started!"

* * *

A couple of hours later, Sam and Lara were at the venue, giving their names at the reception counter.

"Mrs. and Mrs. Croft, welcome." The hostess greeted them. "Here are your name tags and the party is in the first room on the left." She handed them the stickers.

Sam looked at them and frowned. "Name tags? What for? It's not like they were a hundred."

"Between the former students, a few former teachers, the spouses and the guests from other clubs, Ms. Makris thought it was a good idea."

Sam scoffed. "Well if Ms. Makris thought it was a good idea, who am I to judge?"

"I'll just take these," Lara grabbed the name tags. "Thank you."

"Have a nice evening, ladies."

"Oh, we will." Sam grabbed her name tag and placed it on the side of her dress. "Hi, I'm Sam Croft, and you are?" She took the other sticker from Lara's hand and put it on her wife's chest. "Look at that, you are a Croft too. Seems like I stole your last name."

Lara chuckled. "I can't say I'm complaining."

"Good." Sam smiled lovingly at her wife before pecking her lips. "Now let's go see Ms. Makris who can't help but be too much as always."

It didn't take long for the couple to meet the former president. The tall brunette with tan skin greeted them with a quick hug. "Lara Croft and Samantha Nishimura, always glued to each other even five years later!"

"Yes, it's even Sam Croft now, that's how glued to each other we are." Sam answered with a fake smile.

"So I've heard, that's lovely. I'm happy for you two." Katherine replied before someone called her name. "I'm sorry, I have to go check on the caterer but I need to talk to you when you have a minute, it's important." She finished before leaving.

"I have a feeling she's going to ask us something." Lara said as soon as the woman was out of earshot.

The filmmaker squeezed Lara's arm in reassurance. "Ditto but we'll deal with her later."

"Lara, it's so good to see you!" Alyson, one of Lara's friends in the club suddenly approached them. She hugged Lara before turning toward Sam. "And the best friend, I can't believe you put a ring on it, I thought she was all about work."

Sam hugged the blonde woman happily, glad to finally see a friendly face in the crowd. "What can I say, I'm irresistible!"

"You are." Alyson laughed. "I'm glad you came. I thought that now that you're famous you wouldn't want to mingle with us. I mean some of the stuff you're doing Lara, wow."

Lara blushed. "I am not a movie star, I'm just an archaeologist who happens to be in documentaries sometimes."

"Produced by yours truly." Sam thumbed toward herself.

"I think what you're doing is great, guys." Alyson congratulated them. "Now come on, Jasmine and Tara just arrived, let's go see them."

The couple spent an hour reminiscing about their time in college until Katherine asked them to talk in private. They followed her to a little office at the end of the hallway.

"Do you have your pickaxe?" The producer whispered.

"What for?" The Englishwoman asked in a hushed tone.

"In case she's planning on murdering us."

Lara shook her head. "Don't be silly."

"Please have a seat. I apologize for being so secretive but it's important and I don't want anyone to hear us." Katherine sat in front of the desk and motioned for Lara and Sam to do the same.

"Just FYI, Lara is a freaking ninja and I know some close combat moves too." Sam declared as she sat down. They were having fun with Lara's friends and the interruption was pretty rude.

"What?" Katherine frowned, confused.

"Nothing." Sam waved it off. "What's all the mystery?"

"Well, I wanted to talk to Lara about a discovery I made and well you since…" The woman trailed off.

"Yeah, yeah, we're inseparable we get it." The filmmaker rolled her eyes.

"Anyway." Katherine continued. "As you know, I'm a historian and I've recently decided to look into my own past to find out who my ancestors were. I was able to go back to the 5th century BC and that's when things become interesting. The name of a female mercenary from Sparta carrying the spear of King Leonidas kept popping up. I have an old manuscript that could probably help me in my research but I can't quite decipher it. I need your help, Lara, to..."

"Wait," Lara suddenly interrupted her. "Is this why we're here? Was this party all a ruse to meet us?"

"Not completely," The historian rushed to justify. "I was planning on doing one, maybe a 10 years reunion but I couldn't wait that long so since I didn't know how to contact you, I thought it was the perfect opportunity."

"I know you're a history nerd but you are aware that there are things called phones or Facebook right?" Sam told her with the hint of sarcasm.

"I didn't think Lara would have answered me, you are known for being private," Katherine explained. "And I know I haven't been the nicest to you in college, Sam. My parents were absent a lot, or ignoring me at best, always secretive. I had a lot of anger and I took it on people."

"That's no excuse," Sam replied quickly. "My parents were absent too and I tried to connect with people not tear them down."

"I know, and I'm sorry." The former president sighed. "I've worked on myself a lot these past few years and decided to put all this energy into something good, that's how I started looking into my past. Like I said, I could have a famous warrior in my bloodline, it's something that is worth looking into."

Sam snorted. "Right."

Katherine glared at her. "You don't have the exclusivity on the big and famous ancestors, Samantha."

The filmmaker glared back. "Mine was a psychotic bitch who killed a lot of innocent people and looking for my heritage almost killed us all but thank you for your concern, Katherine."

"Hum, why don't we go back to the topic at hand?" Lara tried to ease the tension. "What does it have to do with us?"

"I discovered that this female mercenary, almost always called a Misthios in the texts instead of her name, had an encounter with the leader of the daughters of Artemis." Katherine developed. "I thought that, since Lara was a part of our club that she could be interested in a documentary focused on them."

"So you want Sam and I to help you find who your ancestor is? It would mean studying your documents, going to Greece, and searching for clues?" The archeologist tried to summarize.

The historian nodded. "I can pay you."

"Money is not the issue," Lara informed her. "We have plenty on our own but honestly right now, my biggest concern is how you talk to Sam. If you don't stop, I'll leave and there won't be any negotiation at all."

"I'm sorry." Katherine sighed.

Lara studied her for a moment. "What happened to you? You've never been this…"

"Bitchy?" Sam offered.

"I was going to say intense." Lara corrected.

"Here's the whole story. I know someone, they work for a company who's building a machine that could make you see the lives of your ancestors by using your DNA. They need test subjects and I offered my help because I'm desperate for answers." Katherine confessed. "They are rushing me to start but I don't want to go until I know more about my ancestor."

"Is it dangerous?" Sam questioned. "Because speaking from experience, it's not worth it, trust me." She might not be Katherine biggest fan but she wouldn't want her to get hurt.

"I don't know, I don't think so. But please, I'm stuck and you are the best I know. I need your help…" The historian said, almost begging.

Lara glanced at Sam before looking back at her former classmate. "I can't give you an answer now, we have to think about it."

"I understand." Katherine stood up and grabbed a card in her purse. "Here's my contact info. Talk about it and give me a call in a couple of days."

"We will." Lara stood up and nodded in goodbye before leading Sam back to the party.

* * *

The next day, Lara was surprised to find a mail carrier at her door. Katherine had sent them copies of her research so they could have all the information before making their decision.

"We have another letter from Katherine." Lara announced as she joined Sam in the kitchen for breakfast.

"Twice in a year, we are lucky." Sam thanked Winston for the cup of coffee the man had just put on the table before asking. "What does it say?"

The archaeologist put the file on the counter and grabbed her cup of tea. "That she made us copies of some of her research if we want to look at them."

"Great, let's see what all this fuss is about." Sam reached out for the file and started reading as she sipped on her coffee. "Her family tree is pretty impressive."

Lara finished her toast before reading a few documents on her own. "I have to admit, I'm intrigued."

"You know," The older woman stopped reading and looked at her wife. "I kinda feel bad for her, I mean, it looks like she has nothing but her research to hold on to."

"I can understand that. When I lost you I became quite obsessed myself…" The Englishwoman trailed off as she stared into the distance, seemingly lost in the dark part of her mind.

Sam stood up and wrapped her arms around Lara from behind, softly kissing her neck. "I'm here, sweetie, together always, remember." They stayed like that for a minute, enjoying the closeness until Sam spoke again. "I don't think we have enough material for a documentary but you could still help her translate her manuscript."

Lara turned her head slightly to look at her wife. "You wouldn't mind?"

"It's not up to me to decide what you can or can't do, you're free, but if you're asking for my opinion, I told you, I feel bad for her. Maybe beneath all the bitchiness, she's not so terrible." The filmmaker shrugged.

"Okay, I'll give her a call tomorrow and see what we can do."

* * *

Lara worked with Katherine for a couple of months, translating the manuscript. Her ancestor name was Kassandra, a Spartan mercenary with a lot of skills. She had a younger sibling, Alexios and not the happiest family history.

Once they had gathered enough information, Katherine booked an appointment with the person she knew to try the machine called Animus. A few days later, Lara received a call from her former classmate, asking her to accompany her. The archeologist refused at first but eventually took pity on her.

That was how, the next day, Lara and Sam found themselves with Katherine in a big office with a man explaining all the details about the machine.

"The technology exists for a while now, but we are trying to improve it so people can access anyone's memories, even ancestors that aren't their own." Dr. Zuller informed them, rising from his desk chair. "But the best way to understand is to show it to you. Please follow me."

They all walked toward the lift as the man kept talking about his company.

"We googled your name, there isn't a lot of information regarding your activities, except for the fact that you are a subsidiary company of Abstergo Industry." Sam said as they stepped inside the elevator.

"We are doing a lot of sensitive research here and we are trying to avoid industrial espionage by spreading too much information." Dr. Zuller explained, pressing the button for level -23.

"There is a lot of controversy surrounding Abstergo Industry lately." Lara pointed out. She had a bad feeling about the company as soon as they stepped a foot inside the building.

"We have jealous competitors that would stop to nothing to discredit us. It's nothing you have to worry about, Mrs. Croft." The man reassured with a smile.

"I'm sorry, but why are we going down? The last time I visited, you showed me a machine on the 10th floor." Katherine suddenly asked.

"Since you came with your friends, I thought you should try our new prototype, Ms. Makris." Dr. Zuller replied.

Sam leaned toward her wife and whispered into her ear. "Is it me or does he give off a creepy vibe?"

"I feel it too," Lara whispered back. "I don't like this, stay alert."

The lift finally stopped at level -23 and the doors opened to a dim hallway with stone walls. "Please, this way." The man led them to a room with an electronic lock.

As soon as Lara and Sam stepped into the room, they knew it was a trap. Three chairs connected to a lot of devices were standing in the middle of the place but what set off alarm bells was the security guards in the corner and the Templars flag on the wall.

"I knew this was a trap, you better explain yourself." Lara growled, already scanning the room for a weapon and planning for an escape.

"Well you see, Mrs. Croft, when Katherine told us that she had been in contact with you, it sounded almost too good to be true." Dr. Zuller chuckled darkly. "We heard about your exploits Lara and Sam, you have some royalty in your bloodline; you two make the perfect candidates for our little test. We need information on the location of an artifact and you're going to help us find it."

"Hold your horses, Mr. Hyde. We haven't agreed to anything!" Sam stated, discreetly trying to take a step back toward the door.

"Are you a part of this?" Lara barked at Katherine.

"No!" Katherine cried out. "I swear, I just…"

"No," The man confirmed. "Ms. Makris was just desperate enough for answers that she was easy to manipulate."

"You son of a bitch!" Katherine surged toward him but the guards quickly stopped her.

Lara took advantage of the commotion to grab the supply tray on her left and slammed it against one of the guards' face as Sam kicked another one in the groin. Lara rushed toward Sam and grabbed her hand, leading her out of the room and into the hallway. "We need to find the stairs. I think I saw a sign in the corner."

"What about Katherine? We can't leave her behind." Sam followed, glancing worryingly behind.

"We're gonna get weapons and then we'll come back for her." The archaeologist said as they turned at the corner of the hallway. "But for now, we have to run or we won't be able to help."

"I thought that after Trinity we were done with crazy religious organizations." The filmmaker exclaimed as they finally reached the stairs.

Lara stopped running, leaning against the wall to check if there weren't any guards in front of them before looking at her wife. "I'm sorry, Sam, it's…"

"No one's fault," Sam cut her off. "Don't even go there."

"Don't worry," A voice said from behind them. "You won't go anywhere any time soon."

"Oh for fuck's sake." Sam cursed when she realized they were surrounded. The couple wrestled against a few men but quickly got overpowered.

When the guards had a tight hold on the women's arms, Dr. Zuller came out of the shadow. "It could be all painless if you could just stop fighting."

"Bastard!" Lara glared at him, licking her bleeding lip before spitting at the doctor's face. "When this is all over, I'm going to kill you!"

The man laughed. "You can certainly try, if you survive the experiment that is." He nodded at his guards who then started dragging Sam and Lara back to the room.

The women kept struggling until suddenly, a syringe poke their neck and everything went blank.

* * *

Lara woke up with a start, panting and anxiously looking around. She wasn't in a lab anymore, but in what looked like an abandoned house. "Sam." Her eyes went wide in panic. "Sam." Was her wife okay? Was she there too? "Sam!" She called again louder.

"I'm here!" Sam groaned, slowly rising from the rug she was laying on, on top of the house. "On the roof… What the fuck, Lara?"

Lara quickly climbed on the wall and joined her wife. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

The filmmaker hugged her tightly. "I'm fine, how are you?"

Lara sighed in relief. "I'm okay."

Sam panned the horizon, trying to figure out where they were. It was hot and sunny, there was a village with temples, people working in the fields and in the distance, triremes sailing on the sea, "Lara, are we…"

"In Greece, yes." The archaeologist finished for her.

"Yeah, but it doesn't look like the 21st century Greece." The producer pointed out.

"It isn't." The Englishwoman confirmed.

"What did they do to us?" Sam turned her attention back to her wife.

"I don't know..." Lara answered helplessly.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Reviews make me smile.

 **Chapter 2 :**

Sam and Lara were still on the roof of the old house, trying to figure out what happened to them.

"What is the last thing you remember?" Lara questioned.

Sam glanced around as she searched through her memory. She was glad that at least, they ended up in a house a bit away from the city. "We were trying to escape from Dr. Zuller and his goons but we got surrounded. I felt something stick into my neck and then nothing."

"Same, except…" The archaeologist tried to clear the fog in her mind to remember more details. "I gained consciousness for a few seconds, I felt like my body was being dragged then put on a chair."

"So they put us in their damn machine and pressed start?" The filmmaker said incredulously. "Why are we ourselves then? Aren't we supposed to be our ancestors?"

"They weren't in Greece at the time and since the main test subject is Katherine, I guess our minds were transported here with her as spectators…" The Englishwoman deducted. She should have done more research on the device when Katherine mentioned it but it wasn't like she was planning on using it.

"But I can touch things," Sam let her fingers graze against the wall behind her. "Feel things." She gently caressed Lara's arm. "And…" She sniffed the air. "Smell things… God, what the hell is that smell?" She looked around for the source of the odor until she found the culprit. "Goats…"

Lara chuckled. "Yes, if we are stuck here, you better get used to that, and pigs, and bad smells in general."

The producer made a face. "Great… So what's our plan?"

Lara looked at Sam then at herself. "We need to find clothes if we want to go unnoticed. Then, we'll have to gather information so we can find Kassandra."

"We don't even know what she looks like." Sam reminded her. "And even if we do find her, then what are we supposed to say? Hi, we're from the future, we know one of your descendants and we somehow ended up here to find an artifact we know nothing about."

"It won't be easy." The archaeologist conceded. "But I think she's our only chance to leave this place."

The older woman sighed. "We don't even know how this animus thing works, for all we know we could be stuck here until they decide to unplug us."

The Englishwoman took a moment to think. "Dr. Zuller said that they needed information on an artifact and that's why they wanted us here with Katherine. It means, somehow, they have a way to monitor our movements so they can bring us back when we have what they need."

"Can we leave on our own volition?" The filmmaker asked, despite knowing Lara didn't know more than her. "Maybe there's a safety switch if something happens to us."

"Let's hope so, but for now, we need to find Kassandra."

* * *

They made their way to the city, hiding in the tall grass so no one would notice them while still taking the time to enjoy their surroundings, as surreal as it was to be back in ancient Greece. They moved from house to house until they found some clothes drying outside. It was two simple chitons, the classical apparel at the time, although Sam decided to drape a himation over her shoulder for a better look.

Once they were dressed, Lara stated. "It itches and it's not practical. If we have to stay, I'm gonna need an armor and weapons."

"Me too." Sam agreed. "This dress is cute but I'd rather have something easier to run in."

"I saw a few soldiers. We should find a small camp, wait for the night and then steal their armor once they are asleep." The archaeologist suggested.

"Okay." The filmmaker nodded. "But we'd better be discreet because if anyone sees us, things could turn to shit pretty fast."

"I know." Lara looked around the street. "We'll also have to hide our weapons, they were prohibited in the agora."

"I'm more concern with the fact that we are women and we're barely above slaves on the scale of rights and on top of that, I don't look Mediterranean at all." Sam answered, knowing that they could get in trouble for a lot of things that were just mundane in their century. "But I guess we'll have to be careful about that too."

"I remember reading somewhere that they had a few contacts with China but Japan was unknown territory for them." Lara told her. "I guess if anyone asks, you could say you're a slave."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" The producer asked bewildered. "What the fuck, Lara?"

Lara noticed the worry on her wife's face and reached out to squeeze her shoulder. "Hey, I know none of us were expecting that when we left the manor this morning but I promise you, we'll find a way to leave this place and go back home safely."

Sam sighed, resting her hand on top of Lara's on her shoulder. "Safe and sound?"

"Yes." The Englishwoman saw Sam raise a doubtful eyebrow. "Fine, maybe bruised, but I'll do my best to keep you safe, like I always do."

"And I'll do the same." Sam smiled at her wife before groaning. "Damn, I want to kiss you."

Lara chuckled, kissing Sam's cheek before stepping away. "As soon as we're back to the little house we woke up in earlier, you'll be free to kiss me as much as you want."

"Can't wait." The older woman winked. "Now, let's find people to rob."

"We are not Pirates." The archaeologist answered, amused, slowly walking away from the Agora.

"Oh, do you think we'll be able to sail on one of these triremes?" Sam wondered as she followed her wife.

"I don't know, love."

"Then maybe we should ask a Priestess," Sam joked. "I think I saw a temple over there."

"Right," Lara shook her head at her wife's silliness but decided to play along. "And why not asking them when we'll be back to London?"

"Oh, good idea. Should I invite them for tea?" They both laughed as they continued their walk.

* * *

Sam and Lara wandered around the city borders until they found a camp in the woods, with a couple of drunk soldiers. They hid behind trees, waiting for the night to fall. Once one of the soldiers was asleep, Lara knocked out the one keeping watch and rummaged through the crates of supplies to find what she needed.

The archaeologist was almost done when out of nowhere, a third guard came out of the shadow. Lara quickly unsheathed the sword she had just found to take care of him but Sam stopped her.

"Don't, it will bring too much attention." The filmmaker whispered.

Lara frowned. "What do you want me to do then?"

"Leave it to me." Sam patted Lara's cheek before stepping away.

"Sam, no…" Lara whispered-yelled but her wife was already walking away.

Sam grabbed something on the ground and moved toward the soldier. "Yassas!" She greeted him, trying to remember the few Greek words she had learned during her previous vacation in Greece with Lara.

The man straightened up. "You shouldn't be here, kupia."

"I'm sorry but I think I am lost. I was looking for mushrooms for my master," The filmmaker showed him the mushrooms she had just picked up. "And I can't find my way back to the city." She smiled, feigning shyness as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

The soldier studied her for a few seconds before smiling back. "Let me walk you out of the wood, you should find your way back from there."

"Efharisto." Sam thanked him, her hand waving behind her back to tell Lara to gather their findings and leave.

Lara picked up all the gear and worriedly followed her wife and the soldier from a safe distance. She only relaxed when the man nodded in goodbye and left. She rushed at Sam's side. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Sam reassured her. "I even stole some drachmae when he was walking a bit too close to me." She added proudly.

"How did you learn that trick?" Lara looked at Sam, impressed by her wife's skills. She knew Sam had many talents and could sweet talk almost anyone but the pickpocket part was a surprise.

"Not that I'm proud of it but I did some shoplifting and other less than legal stuff when I was in high school, thinking it would get my parents' attention." Sam shrugged. "I felt bad and quickly stopped, that's why I don't like to talk about it."

"I'm sorry… It went better than I expected, he could have manhandled you but… For what it's worth, you did great, I'm proud of you." Lara congratulated, knowing it wasn't the time nor the place to discuss the topic of Sam's past.

"What can I say?" The older woman smiled proudly. "Sometimes you get more with sugar than salt."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

The filmmaker cupped Lara's face in her hands. "It means you are amazing but we needed a more peaceful way to deal with him back there and I am the master of seduction."

"I can be seductive." Lara scowled, pulling her face away. "I've never heard you complain before."

"You are with me, and you can be quite charming when you want to be but you're often aggressive toward men." Sam pointed out.

"I am not!" The Englishwoman crossed her arms defensively.

Sam looked at her pointedly. "Really?"

Lara opened then closed her mouth, realizing Sam might have a point. She tended to be defensive in expeditions. "Maybe a little but…"

"But it's okay," The producer assured her softly. "I mean, most of the people we run into when we're traveling aren't really trustworthy. You're just protective, that's something I love about you."

"Good." The taller woman nodded to herself, glad to know her wife wasn't put off by this side of her. They slowly started walking toward the house they had settled in.

"And by the way, you can seduce me as much as you want tonight." Sam winked seductively.

Lara chuckled. "It's not like you can resist me."

Sam gasped, shoving Lara with her shoulder. "Oh, look who's cocky now."

"Am I wrong?" Lara raised a daring eyebrow.

The filmmaker giggled. "You are not, Mrs. Croft, you are not."

In the end, they were able to steal a dagger for Sam, a bow and an old sword for Lara as well as pieces of armors that looked like they had been looted after a battle. Lara also found a map which would come in handy to figure out where they were and where they could go next.

* * *

Sam and Lara had been in Kirrha for two days now, gathering information, stealing food and whatever they could use to survive.

It was late afternoon and the couple was walking around the dock. Lara was wearing her armor under her traditional cloak while Sam had opted to only keep the dagger on her for now.

They were approaching yet another shop when they heard a man exclaim.

"Kassandra, my friend! You came back." The merchant smiled.

"Yes, Sargon, I did." The tall brunette answered. "Do you have what I asked for?"

"Oh my god…" From her spot, Sam's eyes went wide. "Do you think it's her?"

"She certainly fits the description in the manuscript but we need to make sure." Lara gently led Sam to the side, so they could watch them without being seen.

"Always straight to business." Sargon replied with a chuckle. "Yes, I found what you wanted. It wasn't easy but I am not the best for no reason."

"Good," The mercenary nodded. "Here's your special money." She handed him the orichalcum. "I still don't understand why you don't use drachmae like everybody else."

The merchant reached for a wooden box and gave it to the brunette. "Special money for special goods, misthios."

"It's her." Lara confirmed as soon as she heard the title.

"So what do we do?" Sam questioned. "Do we try to talk to her alone?"

Lara shook her head. "Let's just follow her first."

* * *

Sam and Lara followed Kassandra until she reached a docked ship and stopped on the pontoon. Even if the place was pretty open, they quickly spotted a crate to hide behind.

"Do you think it's hers?" The filmmaker asked, nodding in direction of the ship.

"I don't think she has enough money to own that kind of ship." Lara answered before focusing back on the mercenary.

Kassandra nodded as another woman joined her. "Odessa, is there something I can help you with?"

"You surely can, Kassandra." The petite woman replied seductively.

The mercenary raised an eyebrow. "And what is that?"

Odessa leaned closer, her hand slowing caressing the mercenary's arm. "I found a quiet place on top of a cliff earlier, why don't you follow me and I'll tell you there."

The misthios frowned. "Should we leave the ship?"

"You are the commander, what you say goes." Odessa stated. "For old times' sake, champion, let's have some fun for one night." She gave her her most charming smile.

Kassandra smirked. "Lead the way then."

Sam watched the women walk away before saying. "Ohhh, guess who visited Lesbos for something else than the beauty of the landscape."

"Sam!" Lara chastised her. "They could be just friends."

"Sure," The producer snorted. "And we are just gal pals sharing a bed." She sighed. "I guess unless we want some free porn, there's no point into following them now."

"God, you're impossible." The archaeologist laughed despite herself. "But you're right, they'll come back here eventually."

* * *

The next morning, the couple waited at the dock for Kassandra's return. The mercenary stayed long enough to talk to a gray-haired man with a scar before leaving once again in direction of the agora.

Sam and Lara were following Kassandra on a dirt path for almost half an hour now when suddenly, three men with masks surged toward her. The couple watched in awe as the mercenary swiftly unsheathed her weapons and slammed her spear straight into one of the men's belly.

Sam gapped. "Holy shit, she's hot…"

"You have to be kidding me …" Lara gave her the side-eye.

"Malaka!" Kassandra growled when her last opponent's blade scratched her arm.

"I can't stay here and watch." Lara removed her cloak and got ready to help.

"I don't think she needs our help." Just as Sam finished her sentence, a fourth man ran toward Kassandra.

Quickly, Lara came out of her hiding place, drew her bow and shot an arrow at him. The mercenary turned around in surprise. The archaeologist lowered her bow, to show that she wasn't a threat but Kassandra didn't leave Lara any time to speak before she tackled her to the ground and brought her spear to her throat.

"No!" Sam ran toward them. "Please stop, we're not with them, we were just trying to help." She raised her hands to show she meant no harm.

Kassandra looked at Sam, then back at Lara. "If you are not mercenaries or cultists, who are you?"

Lara pushed the spear away from her throat and coughed. "It's a long story but please let us explain, I swear we are not your enemy here."

The mercenary pondered her choices for a moment, looking intently into Lara's eyes before pulling away and standing up. "Fine, you have five minutes." She put her sword back in its sheath but kept her spear close.

Sam hurried at Lara's side and helped her stand. "Are you okay, sweetie?"

The Englishwoman nodded. "Yes."

Kassandra tapped her foot in impatience. "I don't have all day."

"Give us a second, would you." Sam snapped. "You almost killed her!"

"She came out of nowhere with a weapon," The mercenary crossed her arms defensively. "A lot of people are after me, I was just defending myself."

"She was trying to help!" The filmmaker exclaimed angrily.

"Everyone, calm down. I'm okay." Lara reassured, touching her wife's arm gently. "Let's just tell her everything we know."

"Why aren't pissed about this?" Sam asked baffled.

"It won't change anything," The archaeologist answered. "Besides, weren't you the one who thought she was hot a few minutes ago?"

The producer's jaw fell in shock. "Seriously?"

Kassandra raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. "Three minutes."

Lara sighed. "I know what I'm about to say is going to sound crazy but I need you to listen. We are from the future."

"Sort of..." Sam added.

"We know one of your descendants, she's…" Lara tried to find the correct word to describe her relationship with Katherine.

"Not one of our friends, more like an acquaintance really." The filmmaker finished for her wife, knowing there was no point in lying.

"She was looking for some information on you so we tried to help her," Lara continued. "But a secret organization got involved and forced us to use a machine that sent our spirits here, in the past, to find an artifact you are connected to."

"By Zeus, what are you two talking about?" The mercenary questioned, slowly losing her patience.

Sam waved her hand as if to say 'I told you so.' "Yeah, told you that speech wouldn't work."

"We are here to help you." Lara tried again, rummaging through her brain for a way to convince the woman.

Kassandra scoffed. "Help me do what exactly?"

"We… I… I don't know…" Lara saw Kassandra take a step backward, ready to walk away so she rushed to add. "Yet, I don't know yet but if there's something I'm sure of, it's that it's connected to you."

"I don't have time for this." The mercenary waved dismissively. "Thank you for killing that cultist, now you can be on your way."

"No, you can't leave, we need you too." Sam said, aware that the woman was their only chance to wake up from the nightmare they were in.

"Unless you have drachmae, I'm not interested…" Kassandra stated as she started walking away.

"Your name is Kassandra. You were born in Sparta. Your mother was the daughter of King Leonidas. When you were little, her husband, Nikolaos, threw you from a cliff after you tried to save your brother Alexios." The Englishwoman said in one breath, in a last attempt at making Kassandra stay.

The misthios stopped walking and lifted her spear, turning around with fire in her eyes. "How do you know this?" She roared.

"I told you, we are from another century." Lara raised her hands in a pacifying gesture, trying to prove once again that they weren't looking for a fight. "Your story was recorded in a manuscript, based on old tablets."

"They wrote stories about me?" Kassandra frowned in confusion. "Why?"

Sam snorted, pointing at the woman. "Have you seen yourself?"

Lara ignored the comment and continued. "Is there any way to convince you that we are telling the truth?"

"Maybe, but I'm not sure how it works exactly." The mercenary moved to the side of the dirt path, right under the trees surrounding it for some discretion.

"If it's pain-free, we'll gladly do it." Sam declared as Lara and her joined the tall woman.

Kassandra wordlessly approached the spear from Lara. The archaeologist sighed tiredly. "You need to stop threatening us if you want this to work."

"If I wanted you dead, you would be already." The misthios announced mightily. "Just touch it."

Lara paused and took a good look at the weapon, quickly recognized it. "It's the spear of King Leonidas."

The producer leaned closer. "Do you think it's what Dr. Zuller is after?"

The Englishwoman shook her head. "I don't think so, it would be too easy."

Sam looked at Lara in disbelief. "I wouldn't call this journey a walk in a park so far."

"Just touch it already." Kassandra ordered, trying to get the women's attention.

"Fine, here." Lara put her hand on the weapon. A few seconds passed with nothing happening. "What now?"

"Hum," The mercenary seemed to hesitate, staring questioningly at the spear. "Do you feel anything?"

"Should I?" The archaeologist glanced at the spear then at Kassandra. "Do you even know what you're doing?"

"No…" Kassandra trailed off before hardening her resolve. "Yes, it worked once!"

"What worked?" The filmmaker inquired.

"By the Gods, stop talking!" The mercenary shouted, exasperated.

"Well, you asked…" Lara muttered, rolling her eyes.

Kassandra seemed to think for a moment before grabbing a gold triangle piece from a hidden pocket. She put it right on top of Lara's hand and kept hers there. Suddenly, both women saw flashes of Lara's past, her parents, the manor, Roth, Uni, Sam, Yamatai, Kitezh, all in a quick succession of images. The Mercenary pulled away, confused and uneasy. "Who are you?" She questioned, turning suspicious again and bringing the spear to Lara's throat.

"Easy there! You're a bit too gun-happy, or like spear-happy for me." Sam slowly touched the spear, trying to push it away from Lara when a flash of memory hit her and Kassandra. This time, the mercenary felt a wave of nausea at the sight of an evil Queen sacrificing young women.

"Himiko…" Sam breathed out when the mercenary removed her hand. She felt her legs go weak just before Lara caught her, holding her close.

"And who are you, witch?" Kassandra turned her spear toward Sam, just as Lara grabbed her wife's dagger.

"I wouldn't do that." Lara stated coldly, bringing her weapon to the mercenary's throat, both women entering into a staredown.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I haven't said it yet, but just in case, there will be spoilers from Odyssey in the next chapters, so if you're not too far ahead, read at your own risks. Like Wikia warns you when you read a recent article, "He who increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow."**

 **Although, I'm still trying to figure out Kassandra. She is a grey character, she can help kids and some people out of the goodness of her heart and then, a few minutes later, she's going to assassinate a stranger just because a dude offered her some money. Sure, Lara can slaughter soldiers too, but they are all "bad guys", trying to kill her so her karma is a lot more positive on this one.**

 **The way people speak in the game is also particular, there is a mix between recent English and insults, proper English and some Greek. On top of that, some dialogues are made to fit "every type of gameplay" so even if I play a "nice" version of this cute mercenary, there are differences. Anyway, I struggle to find the right words, especially when I have to add Idioms from our time with Sam and Lara so sorry in advance if it's not always on point.**

 **Ps: I'm sick and I don't have a beta, so sorry for the mistakes.**

* * *

Sam shook her head to focus back on the present, clearly aware of the tension surrounding her.

"What were those powers?" Kassandra questioned, on edge.

"Not mine, long story…" Sam felt her strength coming back and straightened up. "Shit, I can't believe Himiko is following me to ancient Greece…" She took a deep breath, turning her attention to the two women still threatening each other. "Okay, I need you two to stop this cockfight, it won't help anything."

Lara kept her stance, glaring at Kassandra. "She could hurt you, so I won't lower my weapon until she does."

"I could fight you without any," Kassandra answered mightily.

"Then try!" The archaeologist said without missing a beat.

"Oh my God," The filmmaker groaned. "Stop it, you both need to take the aggressiveness down a notch and talk like civilized people." She stared them down. "Kassandra, your magic spear, because apparently, that's a thing now, showed you that we weren't lying, so please, can we go somewhere safe and figure this out?"

"It is not magic," The mercenary corrected her. "It was crafted by the people from before and it has some special faculties…"

"Okay," The producer dragged the word, frowning in confusion. "See, that's why we need to talk."

Kassandra stared at Sam who was smiling at her. "Alright." She rolled her eyes as she unsheathed her spear. "I know a place." She started walking east without even looking behind her to make sure the women were following.

Sam sighed, relieved about the outcome of their first encounter with the mercenary. "Great," She turned toward Lara. "More sugar, remember?" She touched her wife's arm gently to force Lara to relax. "We need her, sweetie, we're all gonna have to make an effort."

"Fine, but I won't trust her yet." Lara spun the dagger in her hand and offered it to Sam. "Keep it close."

"I read your notes about her," Sam stated. "We know that beneath all that muscle is a soft heart. Trust goes both ways, we'll have to do it step by step."

"She could have hurt you. So this time, let me be the one to ask, how can you be so calm?" The Englishwoman glanced at her wife's throat to make sure there wasn't any cut.

"I'm still half high on the flashbacks of my life and a lot of them were not pleasant but," The filmmaker admitted. "I can be levelheaded and wise sometimes, one of us has to."

Lara snorted. "Should I remind you the fight with Katherine?"

Sam shrugged. "I never said it always has to be me."

Lara chuckled. "Okay, let's follow her before she starts yelling at us."

The producer nodded. "Good idea."

* * *

The three women walked for almost fifteen minutes as Sam tried to answer Kassandra's questions about the flashbacks. Lara was walking a few steps behind, making a mental map of the path they were taking in case they had to leave in a hurry, especially now that the sun was setting.

"So to conclude." Sam finished her ramblings. "I'm not proud of this part of my heritage, but I can't change it so I just try to do some good in my life."

"You are very a talkative woman." Kassandra said, amused.

"Yes." The producer laughed. "But you asked."

"True." The mercenary smiled at her. "For what it's worth, I can understand the weight of a legacy you didn't ask for." She stopped walking and turned to look at Lara. "We're here." She waved toward the entrance of a cave.

Lara raised an eyebrow. "You live in a cave?"

"It's where I stay when I am in Kirrha." Kassandra shrugged before stepping into the cave. She grabbed a lit torch and walked further inside, leading the way. "There is a gap, you have to be careful." She warned as they reached the end of the path. She jumped, throwing the torch into the campfire, before moving to help Sam. She opened her arms and caught the woman as she leaped, setting her down on the ground.

Sam smiled. "Thank you."

"Now that we are here, let me introduce myself properly and in a less hostile way. I'm Kassandra." The mercenary smiled charmingly.

"And I am enchanted." The filmmaker finally stepped away from the woman.

"Enchanted, is that your name?"

Sam giggled. "No, it's Sam."

"Well Sam, you are a sight for sore eyes," The misthios complimented. "I've never seen a beauty like yours before."

"Oh and she's smooth..." The producer's smile grew wider.

Lara cleared her throat, forcing Kassandra to turn her attention to her. The archaeologist was looking at them from her perched position. Kassandra offered her hand to help but Lara ignored it, jumping to join them on her own.

Sam looked at her wife. "Oh, and this is Lara, my..."

"Sýzygos." Lara finished for her in Greek, resting her hand on the small of Sam's back. If Kassandra had sex with a woman and could openly flirt with Sam, she didn't see any problem with saying it.

"Her wife?" Kassandra tilted her head. "Well, you are a lucky woman."

The Englishwoman looked at her straight in the eyes. "I know."

"She's not always so serious, you know," Sam told the mercenary. "She's great. You two just need to get to know each other. Something's telling me you are quite similar."

The mercenary studied Lara and noticed the bruise on her neck. "I apologize for what happened. With the life I live, it's hard to know who is trustworthy and who isn't, especially lately... I'm sure you know that, if what I saw in those visions is true." She offered her hand for Lara to shake.

The archaeologist recognized the gesture as a symbol of peace, like it was in the 5th century and sighed. "I guess I can understand where you come from." She shook the woman's hand before joining Sam who was looking around the place.

"Thank you." Kassandra nodded. "Please sit, it's not much but you'll be safe here." She grabbed a small amphora and showed it to her guests. "Do you want some wine?"

Sam took a seat on a log of wood before raising a suspicious eyebrow at the jar. "How bad is it?"

The mercenary took a bowl, blowing air on it to clean the dust. "It depends."

"Of what?" The producer had tasted some pretty awful drinks when she was young but thankfully, they had a great collection in the manor wine cellar now.

"What wine taste like where you come from." Kassandra smiled, pouring some of the wine into the bowl.

"It also depends." Sam chuckled.

"Then I guess you'll have to try it." The misthios offered the bowl to Sam.

The filmmaker sniffed the beverage before taking a sip. "It's awful!" She gulped it down with difficulty.

"I'm sure it's not that bad." Lara looked at her wife, amused, accepting the bowl Sam was handing her. She took a small sip. "Oh, God…" She coughed.

"Ah," Sam laughed. "What do you say now, miss I can drink vodka straight from the bottle?"

Kassandra watched them, clearly entertained by the scene. "I tasted far worse."

"Yeurk." Sam made a face. "I don't even want to know."

After a moment of silence, Lara asked. "If you don't live here, what are you doing in Kirrha? And where do you stay when you're not in this city?"

"I had some errands to run." Kassandra answered, finally taking a seat. "I stay at different places, depending on which city I am and the rest of the time, I stay on my friend's ship."

"Do you have any, hum," The filmmaker tried to find the right word to describe the woman's job. "Contracts at the moment?"

"Not really, at least nothing important. I'm looking for…" The misthios stopped herself, as if she wasn't sure if she should share the information. "Nevermind…"

"You saw our pasts," The archaeologist reminded her. "More than we would be comfortable sharing with someone we just met, so I think you can tell us."

"I am looking for my mother." Kassandra sighed. "You mentioned her before, what do you know?"

"She was the daughter of King Leonidas," Lara paused, trying to remember her notes. "She was married to Nikolaos, who was called the wolf. She had two children, Alexios and you."

"Do you know the prophecy that ruined my childhood?" The mercenary continued her inquiry.

The Englishwoman looked at the woman. She could sense it was a touchy subject so she tried to choose her words carefully. "They mentioned it in the manuscript, yes…"

"Did it say my stepfather let a priest throw my brother off a cliff then proceeded to do the same with me?" Kassandra said, her eyes and her voice full of bitterness.

"It's awful." Sam felt sorry for the woman.

"Wait," Lara frowned. "Nikolaos is your stepfather?"

The mercenary seemed deep in thought when she replied. "So it seems."

"Who is your father then?" The producer inquired.

"I don't know," Kassandra turned toward Lara. "Did your manuscript say anything about that?"

"No, I'm sorry. It…" Lara didn't know what to say. The manuscript Katherine had found was in poor shape and there were a lot of missing parts. "Not all the pages were intact, a few pages were missing."

"I understand." The misthios nodded absentmindedly. "You said you were here to help me in a quest, something about an artifact?"

"Yes," The Englishwoman confirmed. "We need to find information on an artifact so the people who sent us here…"

"Who are bad, by the way." Sam specified, thinking it was an important thing to add.

"Yes, so these people can go find it in our present." Lara finished.

Kassandra grabbed the bowl and drank a bit of wine. "And you don't know what it is?"

The archaeologist shook her head. "No."

"It's not much…" The mercenary sighed, drinking once more. "But from what I've gathered, you need it to go back to your century."

Sam glanced at her wife, aware that they didn't have much to start with. "Yes, we think so."

"You think?" Kassandra raised a questioning eyebrow.

"We're still not sure about the whole thing," Lara admitted. "As I said, we didn't really… volunteer for it but we know it has something to do with you."

The misthios suddenly realized the full extent of the situation. "Are you planning to stay with me until you find it?"

"Pretty much." The filmmaker replied, almost apologetic.

"I can't bring you everywhere with me," Kassandra stated. "I have my own things to do." She sighed, going over her options. "I will try to help you as much as I can."

"So you believe us?" Lara looked at the mercenary, expecting a straight answer.

"I don't know what to think about all this." The mercenary said honestly. "But I believe you are being truthful." She paused for a moment. "I do have questions about the things I saw. What are those loud weapons? And how do those carriages move without horses?"

"Oh boy," Sam chuckled. "It's gonna be a long night if we go there. Quid pro quo, we ask you something, you answer and then you can ask us something in return." She seemed to remember an important point. "Is it okay to tell her about the future? Can it change anything for her?" She asked Lara.

Lara took a moment to think. "I don't think so. The 21st century can't impact her life."

The producer smiled, focusing back on Kassandra. "Let's start then."

As they kept asking questions, Lara noticed the cracks in the mercenary's mask and realized Sam might be right, Kassandra seemed to be a good person.

* * *

The next morning, Kassandra decided to bring Lara and Sam to her ship. On their way to the dock, the mercenary stopped to show them around. As they reached the village, the woman asked. "Last night, you said you didn't know why you… Hum, what word did you use? Woke up, in Kirrha?"

"Yes," Lara confirmed, tearing her eyes away from the blacksmith. "But we think it's because of Katherine."

Kassandra nodded to herself. "Katherine, who is my…"

"Your descendent." Sam finished for her, quickening her pace to walk next to the mercenary.

"Is there anything around here, temples, tombs, that could be explored for artifacts?" Lara inquired, trailing a bit behind Sam and Kassandra.

"Not here in Kirrha, but there is the tomb of the first Pythia," The misthios informed them. "For the temples, there are a lot around here, the Temple of Apollo, the temple of Artemis…"

The archaeologist's eyebrows raised in surprise. "The temple of Artemis? I think it could be another reason why we woke up here."

"Lara was part of an archery club called the Sisters of Artemis, that's how she met Katherine." The filmmaker explained, seeing Lara wasn't keen on elaborating.

"Interesting…" Kassandra hummed. "Maybe we should pay the daughters of Artemis a visit then."

"Can they be trusted?" The Englishwoman questioned, still walking a few steps behind.

"I wouldn't say that. They are great warriors but they are hiding things…" The mercenary trailed off. "I still had a great time with their leader, Daphnae." She had a proud smile on her face.

"Oh," Sam laughed in delight at the information. "Ms. Makris must be rolling over in her connected chair, score!" She raised her hand for a high five but quickly realized by the confused look on Kassandra's face that the woman had no idea what it meant. "When someone does that, it means, 'good job', and you're supposed to clap their hand."

"Oh, okay," Kassandra lifted her hand and clapped it in the air with Sam's. "Like that?"

"Yes!" The producer exclaimed happily, proud to have taught something to her new friend.

The Spartan woman shook her head, amused. "People from your time have weird customs."

"You'll get used to it." Sam patted Kassandra's arm. "We can all learn from each other."

"Aren't you cute…" Kassandra chuckled. She stopped walking when she noticed Ikaros, flying low. "Look who's here?" She whistled.

Lara finally joined her wife and whispered in her ear. "I can't believe you can't stand Katherine but fawn over Kassandra."

"I'm not," Sam frowned, displeased by the comment. "I just want to be her friend. You should try too, miss cranky pants!"

The mercenary turned around as the eagle land on her arm. "Let me introduce you to my friend, Ikaros."

"You have an eagle?" The archaeologist gasped.

"Yes." Kassandra caressed his feathers.

"As a pet?" The filmmaker beamed. "That's so cool! Can I touch him?"

The eagle made a low squeaky chirp, as if to express his disapproval. The misthios patted his head gently. "Maybe another time, when we'll know each other better."

"He's on the defensive, like his mommy," Sam cooed. "I get it. I'm sure I can win him over."

"Sam, it's not a cat." Lara reminded her, not wanting the bird to hurt her wife.

Kassandra raised her arm for Ikaros to fly away. "We are almost at the dock now, come on."

* * *

They finally reached the ship. When Barnabas saw his friend approach, he smiled. "Commander, you are back, and you brought company, I see."

"Barnabas." Kassandra smiled back. "Yes, they are… friends? From…"

"Far far away." Lara offered, knowing they couldn't really tell the truth about their situation.

"I'm Sam." The filmmaker waved at him. "And this is Lara."

"Welcome on board of the Adestria." The captain greeted them. "Every friend of Kassandra is a friend of mine."

"Is this your ship?" The archaeologist asked, curious, as she looked at the crew.

"Yes," Barnabas confirmed proudly. "But after the mighty misthios saved my life, I offered my services to her."

The mercenary shook her head. "Don't get him started or he will count you the whole story."

"You love my stories, Kassandra." The man chuckled. "Are we leaving Phokis?"

"Not yet, we have a few things to do here first." Kassandra answered him. "Could you find them some horses?"

Barnabas nodded. "I'll see what I can do. In the meantime, you can introduce them to the crew." He smiled at the women before jumping off the ship and walking toward the market.

* * *

Barnabas came back a while later with a horse. "I'm sorry, I could only find one."

"It's okay, they'll ride together." Kassandra replied before turning to Sam and Lara. "I hope you don't mind."

"It won't be a problem." Lara assured her.

"Let's pay the daughters of Artemis a visit, shall we." The mercenary hopped off the ship, offering her hand to help Sam.

"Thank you." The producer smiled at her, accepting the help. "You know, we don't have money, it's gonna be hard to repay you for the horse."

"Don't worry." Kassandra waved it off. "See it as a welcome gift." She walked toward Phobos, petting his head before mounting him.

"I didn't know mercenaries were so generous, especially when they have a reputation of being drachmae driven." Lara declared drily, mounting her own horse then lifting Sam so she could settle behind her.

"I can be." The misthios stated, looking at Lara as she added. "Maybe you should try to know me before emitting a judgment."

"Okay." Sam could feel the tension rising. "We should get going, I don't want to ride at night." She squeezed Lara, trying to force her to relax as they followed the mercenary down a dirt path.

* * *

Once they were close enough, the women left their horses on the side of the path and hiked the rest of the road.

As Lara reached the temple, she looked at it with rapt attention. The building was made of wood, there were a shield above the door and a sculptured frieze of different animals. She carefully stepped inside, followed by Sam. The wooden floor was in pieces and there was vegetation everywhere, even the statue of Artemis had mold on it.

"This place has seen better days…" Sam stated, looking around.

"Maybe they don't have the money to maintain the temple."

"I was surprised too, at first," Kassandra finally joined them inside. "But this is Phokis, people aren't so wealthy."

"Did you visit other temples of Artemis around Greece?" The archaeologist questioned.

"I did. There is one in Mikonos, it's a lot nicer."

"Do you travel a lot?" The filmmaker turned around to look at the mercenary.

"Now that I met Barnabas and his ship, I do. I…" The mercenary stopped talking when she noticed a figure in the temple.

"Beast slayer, you are back," Daphnae greeted her, the smile on her face dropping as soon as she saw Lara and Sam. "You brought company…"

"Yes, this is Sam and this is Lara, they are… my friends…" The last part of Kassandra's sentence sounded more like a question.

"They shouldn't be here," The leader of the daughters of Artemis eyed them up warily. "This is not a place for foreigners…"

"How do you know we are not from here?" Lara arched a questioning eyebrow.

Dahpnae ignored the question and focused on Kassandra. "You should come back when you are alone."

"It is a temple, is it not?" Kassandra asked rhetorically. "Shouldn't anyone who seeks the guidance of Artemis be free to visit this place, stranger or not?"

The huntress paused before answering. "I guess you are right…"

"Kassandra told us you were the leader of the daughters of Artemis, how long have you been in this position?" The Englishwoman inquired, hoping that this time, the woman would acknowledge her question.

"A while now…" Daphnae replied vaguely. "But it looks like things could change soon."

"Are you leaving?" The mercenary frowned.

"Maybe." The leader tilted her head, her eyes full of mystery. "I just wanted to tell you, once you'll finish your last trial, bring me the pelt in Chios."

Kassandra crossed her arms. "Why?"

"As I told you once, things could have been different between us but the Gods have other plans..." Daphnae squeezed the mercenary's arm with a sad smile. "I have to go now."

"Wait. I have questions. You can't leave yet." Lara wanted more information than that. "How many of you are there? How do you operate as a group? How do you choose your leader?"

"My apologies, stranger, I can not answer your questions right now, but you can stay here for a little while. May Artemis guide you down the right path." Daphnae bowed in goodbye before retreating into the forest.

"Well, that went well…" Sam muttered once it was just the three of them.

"She barely paid attention to us." Lara said, disappointed.

"I tried to warn you," Kassandra reminded her. "She is mistrustful."

"It didn't stop you from sharing her bed." The archaeologist saw Kassandra shrug in answer and sighed. "Is there anything you can tell us about them?"

"They are a small faction of women who worship Artemis and protect the land, often using tamed animals to help them in that task. They stay in little groups, setting camps in the forest to stay close to nature." The misthios answered, aware it wasn't much. "I can try to question here next time, but I can't promise you she'll answer."

Lara looked around the temple, downcast. "Thanks."

"Whatever we are looking for, I don't think it's here." Sam caressed her wife's arm to comfort her.

Kassandra exited the temple and raised her eyes to the sky. "The sun is setting. We should find shelter for the night."

* * *

The women found an abandoned camp with a couple of tents, a few miles away from the temple and decided to settle there for the night. As Lara and Kassandra made sure there weren't any bandits or mercenaries around, Sam tried to tidy up the place, setting one of the tents back up.

Kassandra came back first from her inspection of the perimeter and watched Sam in silence until she was done. "You are good at this."

Sam glanced at her over her shoulder and smiled. "Thanks, but I can't take all the credits, Lara taught me well."

"Still, you did a good job." The mercenary insisted, just as Lara joined them.

Lara rolled her eyes at the comment but didn't say anything more. "I should go hunt our dinner."

"Maybe I should go," Kassandra offered. "The daughters of Artemis are all around here, if they think you are a threat, they could attack you."

"I can take care of myself." The Englishwoman stated coldly.

Feeling the animosity, the mercenary crossed her arms defensively. "I was just offering my help so you could rest."

"Why don't you both go?" Sam suggested, sitting on an old diphros in front of the unlit campfire.

"What about you?" The mercenary inquired.

"I'll just stay here and rest my legs. Go get us food." The filmmaker smiled cheekily.

"Do you think you can ask me to go fetch things for you?" Kassandra raised an eyebrow. "I am not your slave and my services are quite expensive."

The producer, not taking offense in the woman's words, giggled. "Ohhh, I have so many images popping into my head right now."

"Sam!" Lara heard Kassandra chuckle and glared at her and her wife. "You two are unbelievable."

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding, just relax, sweetie."

"I'm just gonna go find us something to eat." Lara grabbed her bow, wordlessly walking away from the camp.

Sam looked at Kassandra with puppy eyes. She nodded in direction of Lara before mouthing 'please'. Kassandra quickly realized that the woman wanted her to accompany her wife and rolled her eyes. "Fine." As she followed behind Lara, she mumbled to herself. "I should learn to say no to pretty women," She scoffed. "Who am I kidding…" Once she was close enough, the mercenary called. "Lara, wait!"

"It's okay, I can do it." The archaeologist replied without looking behind.

"But…"

"Please!" Lara turned around this time. "I just need some time alone. Why don't you keep an eye on Sam instead?"

Kassandra gave her a calculated look before nodding. "As you wish." Before making her way back to the camp, she decided to find a torch from another camp to light the campfire.

* * *

When Sam saw Kassandra return alone barely twenty minutes after she left, she frowned. "What happened?"

"She wishes to be alone." The mercenary said, tossing her torch into the fire.

The filmmaker groaned. "She's stubborn as a mule."

"I was just trying to be helpful." Kassandra grabbed the other diphros that was knocked down on the side and put it next to Sam, sitting on it with a tired sigh.

"I know, thank you for that." The producer patted Kassandra's hand and sighed. "She doesn't like to feel useless. I guess, not knowing why we are here for exactly is hard for her. She just needs some time to chill, a walk in the forest will do her good."

"How long have you been married?"

"6 months." Sam smiled at the memory of their wedding. "But we are best friends since we were eighteen."

"You make a cute couple." Kassandra said genuinely.

"I know and Lara is a great wife."

The mercenary poked the fire with a stick of wood. "Do you travel often?"

"Yeah, Lara studies old civilizations and tries to uncover artifacts from different periods so, it's part of the job." The filmmaker shrugged.

"And you follow her to count her adventures."

The producer chuckled. "Well, I can't really explain to you what TV is or even Internet so, let's say it's one way to put it."

They heard light footsteps and looked up, seeing Lara with a small goat on her shoulder. Kassandra stood up and took it from her, setting it on the ground. She turned to Sam. "Do you want to skin the goat?"

"Ew, no! Besides, I'm a terrible cook!" Sam stood up. "I saw a river though, I'll get us some fresh water while you two take care of it."

Lara smiled at her. "Good idea, love." Sam smiled back at her wife before walking away with an empty amphora in hand.

Kassandra looked at Lara. "Do you wish to prepare it?"

The Englishwoman shook her head. "The honor is yours."

"Not a good cook either?" The mercenary asked, amused.

"It depends but I'm more intrigued with how you're going to extract the meat with your spear." Lara admitted.

"I don't do it often but you are welcome to watch." Kassandra grabbed her spear and started cutting the goat open.

* * *

After dinner, Lara settled on an old rug and listened to Sam and Kassandra talk while scribbling notes with difficulties on an old piece of parchment she had stolen.

"How old were you when you got separated from your mom?" Sam questioned the mercenary.

"Around 10."

"Do you remember her well?"

Kassandra hesitated, still not fully comfortable with sharing her life with the women, even if they had given her no reason to be leery.

The filmmaker noticed the hesitation. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to. I can tell you about my family if you'd prefer. I didn't have the best relationship with my parents while growing up. They were too busy with their work. I felt alone, at least until I met that one." She pointed at her wife. "Boom, love at first sight."

Lara lifted her eyes from her parchment as she felt people staring at her. "Don't be silly." She tried not to get flustered by her wife's word, despite the warm feeling in her chest.

"She's too shy to admit it but I know." The producer tapped the side her head with a knowing smile. "Anyway, later on, when we started dating, my parents practically disowned me."

"No good parents would abandon their child." The misthios stated.

"Well, they are not parents of the year." Sam declared with a bittersweet taste in her mouth. "But they were at our wedding. It seems like they're trying to make amends." She cleared her throat, as if trying to shake away the sad memory of her family. "What I'm trying to say is, don't give up, if your mother is out there, you'll find her."

"She is alive, she just doesn't know her two children are too…" Kassandra stayed silent for a while. "Her name is Myrrine. I've always seen her as a great warrior, someone who commands respect but who could still be loving. Every time I have a new clue on her possible location, I can't help but think, despite everything that the Gods had put her through, she is still alive and still fighting for what she thinks is right…" Her eyes went wide as she realized what she had just said. "I don't know why I'm telling you all that…"

"Because Sam is easy to talk to." Lara declared, a small smile on her face.

"She is." The misthios agreed, smiling at Sam.

"I know, I'm amazing." Sam joked, trying to lighten the mood after the loaded confession. "What are they waiting for to build me a statue?"

Lara and Kassandra laughed. "You know." The mercenary said, glad for the change of subject. "Someone sculpted a little statue of me once after I helped them."

"No way, did you keep it?" The filmmaker asked excitedly.

"No."

Lara went back to her parchment but after a while, she ended up falling asleep to the sweet voice of Sam counting stories. Later, when she woke up in the middle of the night, Sam was cuddling her, her back against her front. She smiled to herself, gently kissing her wife's cheek. She looked around and saw Kassandra tear her eyes away from the fire to glance at her. "Sorry, I was tired." She whispered.

"It's okay." Kassandra reassured.

The archaeologist rubbed her eyes tiredly. "Do you want me to keep watch?"

"No, you can go back to sleep."

Lara nodded, standing up before gathering Sam in her arms so they could sleep more comfortably inside the tent.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 :**

 _A/N: Sorry the update took so long, the holidays, work, the lack of feedback on my Croft Legacy fic and this one, the mess with the new Odyssey DLC (we can't have nice things, can we?), it was hard to find the motivation or inspiration but I'm gonna have some free time soon and I should be able to go back to it. Reviews make my day._

* * *

The next day, the three women searched the area around the temple for the better part of the morning before they decided to go explore the tomb of the first Pythia.

When they arrived at the Tomb, Kassandra quickly dismounted Phobos and helped Sam get down from hers and Lara's horse, leading the producer toward the statue of the Pythia.

The archaeologist clenched her jaw, trying to ignore the sweet gesture – something she was planning on doing - as she hurriedly dismounted the horse and followed them.

* * *

Once they were in front of the statue, Lara felt more in her element. She looked at all the offerings, commenting on them as Sam watched her lovingly, knowing it was just what her wife needed to relax.

Kassandra motioned for them to follow her inside. "Watch out for the snakes, they are everywhere." She grabbed a torch and led the way. It didn't take long for them to run into a reptile. The mercenary unsheathed her spear and cut it in half.

"You didn't say much about your spear, yesterday. Your mother gave it to you, but how did you discover its power?" Lara questioned.

"I always felt something while wielding it but, I only realized the extent of its power when I found a cave in Andros that allows me to..." Kassandra paused, as if looking for the right word. "Enhance it." She quickened her pace. "There is something I need to show you." She led them to the ancient stele she had found a while ago, standing to the side so her new companions could look at it. "I don't know how, but this stele is made of the same material as the one I found in the cave."

Lara approached the stele, studying it intently. "You said it was from the 'people from before', do you know more about that?"

"No, and it is not a language I understand." The mercenary answered. "You two seem smart, maybe you'll have a better chance …" As she let Lara study the stele, she rummaged through some crates that she had left behind the last time she explored the place.

"It looks like nothing I have seen before." The archaeologist touched the stele, intrigued by the light emanating from it. "Some symbols are similar to hieroglyphs but… I can't translate anything. Is it the only stele you found?"

"No, I found others in tombs, always with these symbols on it." Kassandra informed her.

"Maybe you could show us the cave?" Sam jumped in. "I mean, whatever this is, I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the artifact the Templars are after."

"It is far from here… And I don't know if I can bring people with me." The Spartan woman hesitated. "I'll think about it."

They checked the rest of the tomb for more information but they quickly realized it was pointless so they made their way out.

Once they were outside, Kassandra approached Sam, almost shyly, as she took something out of her pocket. "I found this bracelet, you should have it," She showed her the piece of jewelry. "It will suit you more than me." She put it on the producer's wrist after the woman nodded in approval. "And if you ever need money, I'm sure you can sell it for good drachmae."

"Oh my God, that's so sweet, thank you!" Sam hugged Kassandra happily. "And I won't sell it, it's a gift."

The mercenary patted the woman's back awkwardly, hastily stepping away before looking at Lara who was standing a few steps away. "I have some pieces of armors in the ship chest, you should take a look and take what you need."

"I…" Lara was interrupted by some shouting coming from behind them. She turned around and saw three men with black and white paint on their faces running in their direction.

"We are going to send you and your new friends to Hades, misthios." The leader roared.

Kassandra and Lara reached for their weapon and quickly got rid of two of them. When they turned around to check on Sam, they saw her knock the last assailant with an amphora.

Sam made sure the man was unconscious before looking up, feeling eyes on her. "What?" She raised a defiant eyebrow. "I thought maybe we could interrogate him instead of slaughtering them all… They must have a reason for always popping out of nowhere to kill you."

"I know who they are, they are followers of Ares." Kassandra told them.

"Why did they say we were your new friends?" Lara inquired.

"I don't know," The mercenary shrugged. "Because you were standing next to me?"

"Well, since one of them is still alive, perhaps we should make sure of that." The Englishwoman took a few steps to stand above the man, pushing his body with her boot to see his face. "It seems like they knew we were here and were waiting for us."

"All right, let's bring him inside." Without waiting for help, Kassandra lifted the man and put him on her shoulder, bringing him in the first room of the tomb before dropping him unceremoniously.

"Isn't a tomb sacred?" The filmmaker questioned as she and Lara joined her. "Shouldn't we take him somewhere else?"

"I'm sure the Gods can make an exception for once." The Spartan soldier answered, kicking the man to wake him up. When he finally came back to consciousness, she asked. "Who are you working for and why did you attack us?"

"I will kill you!" The man threatened.

Kassandra chuckled darkly. "I heard that a lot and I'm still here, unlike the ones who tried to stop me."

"You can kill me but others will rise." The cultist sneered. "We are watching you. We know that two warriors joined you and once the cult knows too, they will be dead."

"So you are with the cult of Kosmos, then." The mercenary declared with a sigh. "I thought I already killed your leader."

"Another one has risen, we can't be stopped." The man laughed maniacally.

"Give me time, I will kill each and every one of you." Kassandra said just before slitting his throat.

Sam gasped "Oh, God." She took a step backward, looking up as the man choked on his own blood.

"Why did you do that?" Lara yelled, angry. "I had questions too!"

"He would have told you lies, that's what they do." The Spartan woman replied unfazed, cleaning her blade on the man's clothes before slowly walking out of the tomb.

"But he said they'll come after us!" The archaeologist insisted, following her. "And what is this cult?"

"Then I need to find where they are hiding before they spread the word further." Ignoring Lara's question, Kassandra whistled, waiting for Phobos to come to her before mounting him.

"That doesn't answer my question about the cult." Lara stepped in front of the horse, hands on her hips. "We were sent here to find an artifact, not being hunted by cultists or going to war."

The misthios sighed tiredly. "I will tell you on our way to the ship. Now come, we have to hurry."

"I don't like the turn it's taking." Sam said, worry written all over her face. "We need to find this freaking artifact or a way to wake up because, at this rate, we won't survive the week."

"I know." The Englishwoman jumped on the horse, waiting for her wife to do the same. "But for now, I think we should make sure they don't send any more people to kill us." She pulled on the reins, guiding the horse so they could follow Kassandra.

Sam leaned closer to her wife, lost in thought for a while until she asked. "Why are you so cold to her?"

"I am not." Lara denied.

"Really?" The filmmaker knew her wife too much to not recognize her bold lie. "Because it looks to me like you're telling her off every time she tries to help you."

"I don't have to be all over her to thank her." Lara huffed. "You're doing it well enough for the both of us."

"Okay," Sam pulled away, making some space between her and Lara while trying not to fall from the horse. "For the sake of this trip, I'm going to ignore that, but check yourself, sweetie. I might not let it slide next time."

Lara felt the annoyance in her wife's voice and decided to keep her mouth shut, knowing it would only make it worse.

* * *

Once they reached the ship, Barnabas waved at them, clearly confused to see them back so soon. "Back already?"

"We ran into some followers of Ares," Kassandra answered. "They are definitely working for the cult of Kosmos."

"Are you hurt?" The captain asked Sam and Lara.

Lara shook her head, surprised by man's concern. "We're okay."

"I need you to meet your contact and find where they are hiding." The mercenary ordered Barnabas.

The man frowned. "Now?"

"Yes, Barnabas, now."

The captain bowed in understanding and left to do his task.

"When you find out where they are, I'm coming with you." Lara stated.

"It's too dangerous." The Spartan woman shook her head. "Like you said, it is my fight, not yours and I don't want you to get hurt because of me."

"Well, it's too late for that." The archaeologist countered, standing her ground. "They attacked us so it is my problem too."

"Yes, we can help you." Sam agreed with her wife.

"No, you're not coming." Lara said in a voice that brought no argument.

"Seriously?" The producer put her hand on her hip to show her annoyance. She knew that tone, it was the one Lara used when she refused to let her go on a dangerous expedition and she never liked it. "I'm my own person, I make my own decision and I won't let you go there alone."

"I am not alone, she will be with me." The English woman pointed out, as if it was a solid point.

Kassandra was standing next to the couple, silently watching them fight until she had to jump in. "I haven't agreed to anything."

Sam lifted her hand in front of Kassandra's face as if to tell her not to interfere. "They attacked me too in case you haven't noticed." She pointed at herself. "I can help."

"We're not at home," Lara reminded her wife, suddenly missing her gear more than ever. "We don't have guns or explosive, you…"

"So what?" The filmmaker cut her off. "It doesn't mean I can't fight."

"Hum…" The mercenary squirmed uncomfortably, looking everywhere but at the couple as if trying to find an excuse to leave. "I have to speak with Odessa, take your time…" She discreetly made her exit.

"Sam, please," The archeologist begged. "I'm not the best with a sword, so if anyone tries to hurt you, it…"

"It means I would be useless, right?" Sam crossed her arms, offended. She knew Lara only had her best in mind, but it was hard not to feel coddled in those moments.

"No, no, that's not what I meant." The Englishwoman gently led her wife to the side as she noticed the crew watching them.

The producer looked at her, doubtful. "Well, that's how it sounded."

Lara stopped, taking a deep breath. "I know you can defend yourself, I saw it many times. But here, we have no idea who we are fighting against, let alone how many they are. I won't be able to focus if I worry about someone hurting you."

"They could attack us here." The filmmaker remarked, trying to make a point.

"You have a whole crew to defend you if it happens." Lara countered easily.

"But if I'm with you, I'll have a kickass wife and a mercenary friend to help." Sam smiled, proud of her argument.

"But they will be busy fighting."

"Why do we always have to fight about this?" The older woman sighed wearily. "You know, I could just wait for you to leave and then follow you."

"You won't." The archaeologist answered. "She barely wants me with her, so please, for my peace of mind, and hers, stay here. Try to gather some information from the crew."

Sam ran her hand through her hair, tired of fighting. "I don't really like you right now."

"I know," Lara reached out to squeeze her wife's arm. "But if it means you're safe, I'm okay with that, because your safety is the most important thing to me."

"Urgh," The producer groaned. "Don't be sweet, you have no right."

"You'll come and explore the area with us, I promise, but not this." The Englishwoman assured her.

"Fine." Sam finally caved. "But you better come back in one piece, you hear me."

"Yes…" Lara kissed Sam's forehead tenderly. "Thank you. I love you." She stepped away and waved at Kassandra to signal her they were done.

Kassandra excused herself and joined the couple. "So…"

"I'm coming with you, that's none negotiable." Lara informed the woman. "But Sam will stay here."

"Okay." The mercenary answered simply.

"Okay?" Lara raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"

"We need to find them soon and it would be a waste of time to argue with you, so okay." Kassandra developed this time. "Go look into the chest if something fits you." She thumbed toward the back of the ship.

Lara nodded, caressing Sam's hand before walking to the chest.

Kassandra smiled at the petite woman before taking a step back, ready to leave. Sam stopped her. "I know we just met and you don't owe us anything." She started. "But please, keep her safe. I know she has skills, but we're not from here..."

"Don't worry, Prinkipissa," The mercenary put a reassuring hand on Sam's shoulder. "I will keep your woman safe. You have my word."

"Thank you." Sam smiled gratefully. "Wait, prinkipissa?"

"I thought it suited you, you keep ordering us around." Kassandra joked before studying Sam's reaction, suddenly worried she had overstepped.

"I like it." The filmmaker grinned. "Should I call you misthios?"

The mercenary chuckled. "No, only strangers call me that and Barnabas sometimes."

Sam hummed, thinking for a moment. "I'm gonna call you Kassie, then."

"Kassie?" Kassandra repeated. "I like that."

"Good." The producer turned serious again. "I know it doesn't look like it right now, when she's in her 'woman on a mission' mode, but Lara will have your back too."

"You shouldn't be mad at her for asking you to stay. She's just trying to protect you. I would do the same with the people I care about," The Spartan woman admitted. "Even if I know they're good warriors."

"I know," Sam sighed, glancing at Lara who was trying on a breastplate. "I just wish I could do more."

Kassandra followed her line of sight and saw Lara look away, pretending that she wasn't watching them. "I'm sure you're doing plenty, just leave the rest to me."

The petite woman snorted. "Does it mean it's gonna cost me?"

"No," The mercenary laughed with her. "For a friend like you, I'm willing to do it for free."

"How gracious of you." They both laughed.

* * *

An hour later, Barnabas came back with the information they needed. The followers of Ares were in a cave, North West of the village.

As Kassandra and Lara got ready to leave, Sam walked toward the horses with them, Odessa waiting a few steps behind them. "Please be careful and don't anything rash."

"Me? Rash?" Lara and Kassandra said simultaneously as they mounted their horse.

The producer laughed, the two women were more similar than they thought. "Sure." She stood there, watching them go as she waved at them with a smile on her face. "Oh God, I'm gonna have fantasies about this…" She mumbled.

"Kassandra is a great lover." Odessa stated, joining her.

"Are you two together?" Sam questioned, curious after watching them flirt together the first night they found Kassandra.

"No. It is just for fun." Odessa answered truthfully. "She can't be tied down. Or so I thought before Ky…" She stopped herself, as if realizing she had already said too much. "Maybe it will change when she meets the right one."

"Maybe…" The filmmaker trailed off, aware of the slip-up. So the mighty misthios had someone special in her life, she thought, it wasn't something that was in the manuscript, at least not in the parts they had been able to decipher.

"Now come on, Kassandra asked me to train you with a sword." Odessa motioned for Sam to follow her.

"Oh, that won't be pretty…"

* * *

Kassandra and Lara rode in tense silence until they found the entrance of the cave. It was practically night outside but it gave them an advantage to sneak in.

"We have to be careful, they'll be on high alert." The mercenary stated. "Can you get rid of them discreetly?"

"Yes, this is not my first time on the field."

"Okay." The misthios raised her hands to show she didn't mean anything by it. "We have to find their captain, he'll know if the cult has been informed yet or not." She scrunched down and made her way into the cave, closely followed by Lara. The first two guards were easy to take down so they quickly went further inside. They got rid of a couple of others, making sure they had killed everyone before looking for the captain. They found him at the end of a small path, taking a rest on a makeshift bed on the ground. Kassandra brought a finger to her lips to tell Lara to be silent then signaled her to go right so they could surround him.

As soon as they were in position, Kassandra slapped the sleeping man on the face, swiftly bringing her spear to his throat and using her other hand to cover his mouth. "Chaire, stranger." She smirked.

The captain tried to move, his shouts muffled by the mercenary's hand. Lara quickly pinned him down. "We have some questions, just nod yes or no."

The man once again struggled to get free until Kassandra punched him hard, pressing her spear harder against his throat. "Do you know me?" The captain nodded. "Then you know I'm not someone you should start trouble with." The man nodded once more. "Good, so you're going to answer her questions because if I have to do the questioning, I won't be so patient."

"Do you know who I am?" Lara inquired. The captain bowed his head as a yes. "Are you trying to kill us?" When the man wordlessly replied yes again, she frowned. "But why?"

The man tried to speak, mumbling things under Kassandra's hand. The mercenary sighed, looking at Lara. "This is not a yes or no question."

"We need more than a yes right now." The archaeologist pointed out.

Kassandra focused back on the follower of Ares. "I'm going to remove my hand but I'd advise you against screaming, we killed all your men so no one will help you. Just tell us what you know." She slowly lifted her hand but as she expected him to do, the man shouted out for help. She stabbed her spear into his thigh. "I warned you."

The captain cried in pain. "She killed one of our friends."

"If it's about revenge, why do you want to tell the cult about them?" The Spartan woman questioned, her spear still in his thigh.

"By Ares, it hurts." He felt more pressure on his wound and rushed to say. "Because the cult wants you dead and anyone who's helping you should die too."

"Did you say anything to the cult yet?" Lara pressed, wanting to know if they were too late or not.

"Not yet, we were supposed to report in a couple of days."

"Anything else we should know?" Kassandra removed her spear, ignoring the man's pain.

"They are going to kill you all." The captain declared.

"By Zeus, can't you say anything else," The misthios rolled her eyes. "It's tiresome and I always end up killing you." She approached her spear to his throat. "Say hi to Hades for me." She said before cutting his throat open.

Lara let go of her hold on the dead man and leaned away, still no used to Kassandra's way of getting rid of people. She stood up, dusting her knees. "So we are safe from the cult then."

"At least, for now." Kassandra stood up too and started walking toward the exit of the cave when a man called for their attention.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" The guard raised his bow.

Lara reached for hers and aimed at him but before she could shoot her arrow, Kassandra pushed her out of the way.

The mercenary surged toward the guard, plunging her spear into his heart. She made sure he was dead before rushing back to Lara who was kneeling on the ground. She broke the arrow that was lodged in the crate close to the archaeologist's face before offering her hand to help the woman rise. She frowned when Lara pushed her hand away. "What is your problem?"

"I don't need your help, I'm quite capable on my own." The Englishwoman stated coldly as she stood up.

Kassandra's frown deepened. "I've never doubted that but he was aiming at you."

"I had enough time to take him down." Lara grabbed her bow from the ground and started walking away.

"I might be from Sparta but I have learned that there is no shame in getting help sometimes." The misthios followed the other woman.

"Well, it was not one of those time." The archaeologist quickened her pace, as if she couldn't wait to get out of the cave.

"I am not your enemy," Kassandra reminded her, trying to stay calm. "I do not wish to fight with you."

Lara abruptly stopped walking and spun around angrily. "Then stay away from my wife!" She snapped.

The Spartan woman opened, then closed her mouth, surprised by the outburst. "Is this what this is about?" Finally realizing why Lara had been so cold, she exhaled. "I might be a misthios but I have honor and principles. You are married, I would never try to break a sacred union." She locked eyes with Lara. "You know, you doubting her says more about yourself than me…"

"I'm not doubting her!" Lara's voice rose before dropping. "I... I'm doubting myself..." She sighed.

"What do you mean?" Kassandra asked, confused.

Lara ran her fingers through her ponytail. "A part of me thinks, even after all these years, that Sam deserves better than me, better than the life we live, someone who isn't haunted or always surrounded by danger." She confessed. "I'm scared that one day, she's going to wake up and decide that she's done with me and my crazy adventures and just leave…"

The mercenary looked at her incredulously. "And you think leaving you to spend a life with a mercenary with a tragic past, in a Greece torn by war would be better?"

"I... well… no." The Englishwoman admitted, sheepishly. "No offense."

Kassandra chuckled. "None taken."

"I haven't thought this through, I must sound ridiculous." Lara laughed lightly, embarrassed by her outburst. "I've never really been jealous before, I don't know why I'm acting like that."

"You love her." The misthios softened. "And she loves you too."

"I know, but you are…" Lara motioned at Kassandra's body. "Some kind of goddess, I wouldn't blame her."

"You are far from ugly." Kassandra smiled.

"Thank you?" The archaeologist answered, unsure how to take the woman's comment.

"Compliment aside," Kassandra continued. "She talks about you as if the gods themselves sent you to her. She praises you, as a great warrior, as a loving spouse, a loyal friend. You shouldn't worry, your love is beautiful and from what I've gathered, she has her demons too, it doesn't mean you can't love each other."

"I didn't know you were so wise." Lara joked, finally relaxing as the tension between them died.

"Sometimes…" The Spartan woman joked back.

"Thank you for protecting me and… I'm sorry." Lara said honestly. "For acting like a petulant child and snapping at you. I think we are very much alike and it wasn't fair of me to take my insecurities on you."

"I can understand." Kassandra started walking slowly toward the exit. "I have someone special too, she… we both have obligations, it's complicated..."

"Odessa?"

"No, she is pleasant but…" The mercenary hesitated, pondering if she should say more then decided to do so since Lara had been honest with her. "It just gets lonely sometimes, and I'm only human, no matter what the rumors say."

"What about Daphnae?"

"If things had been different, I think, maybe we could have… but no… It's someone else. I helped her with a rebellion but once it was all over, we had to part ways. I had to continue my journey and she had to rebuild the town…"

"Sam taught me that we all deserve to love and be loved, no matter how complicated our life is. It won't fix your life but it soothes the pain to have someone to lean on…" The Englishwoman encouraged. "Perhaps, when the time is right, you can find each other again."

"Maybe…" Kassandra acknowledged Lara's wise words with a jerky nod before changing the subject. "Sam is a lovely woman, she is funny and delightful, you are fortunate to have her. I can talk to a lot of people but, real, trustworthy friends are hard to find. Your wife makes it easy to talk to her so it's nice to have her around. I don't want anything more."

"I know…" Lara paused, thinking for a moment before saying. "Let's start over," She stopped walking and offered her hand. "I'm Lara, I'd be happy to be your friend."

Kassandra smiled and gave her a forearm shake. "I'm Kassandra and it would be an honor to be your friend, bow warrior."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 _I postponed the update to write a Dr Who fanfic (ao3) but, it was a fail soooo back to this fandom, hopefully, with more feedback..._

 _The chapter is a bit of a filer so the girls can get closer and move to another place. Next chapter will be full of action! Let me know what you think!_

* * *

Kassandra, Lara, and Sam spent the next couple of days exploring Phokis, searching temples, ruins, and tombs for clues or unknown artifacts, without success.

After checking the Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia, it was clear for the women that whatever they were looking for wasn't in the area.

"It's like looking for a needle in a haystack and we don't even know what the needle looks like," Sam exclaimed in frustration.

"We know it's nothing common or Dr. Zuller wouldn't have sent us here." Lara paused, trying to come up with a new plan of action. She looked at Kassandra. "You said something about a cave in Andros? After seeing the steles, I'm sure the artifact is connected to them."

"I know you were hesitant about taking us there," Sam added. "But we're running out of options…"

"It's more like a forge…" Kassandra sighed. "I have things to do, I won't be able to…"

"We are aware," Lara interjected. She knew that, at some point, Sam and her would have to go on their own but they needed more time to figure out what to do.

The producer nodded in agreement. "The best way to get us out of your hair is to help us find what we are looking for."

"You are not a bother, I do enjoy your company but…" The mercenary trailed off, torn by the situation.

"Please, give us a week." Sam smiled sweetly.

"Alright." Kassandra heaved another sigh. "I will take you to Andros but for now, let's find a place to settle for the night."

The filmmaker whooped in joy. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

The Spartan woman groaned. "Am I going to regret this?"

Sam chuckled as she gave the woman a side hug. "Probably."

* * *

They found a small cave to settle in for the night. As they were waiting for their dinner to cook on the fire, they heard noises coming from outside.

Kassandra stood up, instinctively reaching for her sword. Lara and Sam followed suit, listening intently until a growl echoed throughout the air.

Sam's eyes widened. "Is that…"

"A bear." Lara and Kassandra finished simultaneously.

"I thought the cave was empty." The archaeologist looked around for an exit but there wasn't any apart from the one they had come from.

"Not anymore," The mercenary declared as the bear finally appeared in front of them, ready to charge. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it."

"On your own?!" Sam watched in awe as Kassandra surged forward toward the animal.

Lara drew her bow, ready to shoot but hesitated. She might be a good shot but Kassandra was so close to the bear that she could get hurt by her arrow. When the mercenary fell to the side and lost her sword, Lara saw an opening but it didn't look like the woman needed her help.

Kassandra rolled on the ground, avoiding the bear's claws before punching the beast right on the nose. She scrambled to her feet and reached for her sword in a swift move.

Sam and Lara gawked at the scene, jaws slack, eyes wide as their friend fought the bear like it was a regular occurrence.

Sam blinked. "She is…"

"Amazing," The Englishwoman breathed out, clearly impressed.

"I knew it!" Sam's smile grew wide. "I knew you couldn't be totally immune to her charm."

Lara scoffed. "I wouldn't say charm, but she IS skilled…"

The Spartan woman quickly got rid of the bear then turned around to check on her friends, a proud smile on her face. "See, I told you to leave it to me."

The producer rushed to her friend's side. "Are you okay?"

Kassandra nodded, sheathing her sword. "Lara just complimented me, how can I not? I knew you would grow fond of me."

The archaeologist chuckled. "Don't get any ideas."

"Don't worry, oh feisty one, I won't." The mercenary winked.

"You're bleeding." Sam reached for her friend's arm and inspected the bleeding craw marks. "I think I have something to cover it. Wait here." She walked toward the campfire and grabbed a little leather pouch.

"Oh, Sam, no need."

"Yes need." The filmmaker came back with a rag and gently wrapped it around the wound. "You two are reckless, someone needs to take care of you because you don't."

Kassandra watched her friend fuss over her injury in amusement. "Are you going to fight me, little woman?"

"Not everyone can be built like a Greek Goddess, but I have some skills of my own." Sam huffed.

The mercenary chuckled. "I don't doubt it." She glanced at Lara. "Your woman can be quite feisty too, it seems."

Lara laughed wholeheartedly. "You have no idea!"

"Hey! I'm standing right here!" Sam gently glared at them as Lara and Kassandra both laughed.

The Englishwoman looked at her wife with soft eyes and a gentle smile. "It's one of the reasons why I love you." She wasn't one for big declarations of love in public but she was aware of the tension that had lingered between them due to her jealousy and she wanted to make sure Sam knew, without a doubt, that she loved her.

The producer fought a smile, glad to see Kassandra and her wife were finally getting along. "Yeah, yeah, don't try to smooth-talk your way out of this one!"

Kassandra chuckled. "We should eat, then rest. We'll leave at the first light of dawn."

* * *

Early the next day, the three women reached the Adestria and soon, they were on their way to Andros.

As the ship sailed away, Sam leaned over the small wooden rail, ready to vomit. "I don't feel so good…"

Lara was standing next to her wife, caressing her back in a soothing manner. "It takes some time to get used to, I think."

"Really?" The producer groaned. "Because I feel like my organs are moving with the waves." She gulped. "I love you but please, tell me it's not just me?"

The archaeologist chuckled. "It's not just you."

Noticing Sam's state, Kassandra moved away from the helm of the ship to join the couple. "First time on a ship?"

Sam shook her head. "No, but usually, it doesn't move that much."

"I was like you the first time." The mercenary squeezed Sam's shoulder in comfort. "You'll get used to it."

"When?" The filmmaker whined.

"After a couple of times." The Spartan woman smiled sympathetically.

"Oh God…"

"How long until we reach Andros?" Lara questioned, her hand still tracing comforting patterns on Sam's back.

"I need to make a quick stop first." Kassandra pointed at an island on the left. "It won't take long."

Sam slowly turned around, holding Lara's arm to keep herself steady. "Business or pleasure?" She wiggled her eyebrows.

"Sam!"

Kassandra frowned in confusion. "I'm sorry?"

The Englishwoman noticed her wife's smirk and quickly put her hand in front of Sam's mouth. They had shared their information about Kassandra's special person and she knew her wife was ready to play cupid. "Behave." She felt Sam's smile on her palm before pulling her hand away and looking at Kassandra. "Why do you need to go there?"

"It's nothing you have to worry about." The mercenary waved it off. "You can wait for me on the ship."

"Oh no, I won't spend more time than necessary on this ship," Sam stated, more than happy to take a break from their navigating.

* * *

20 minutes later, the ship was docking at a small port.

"Where are we exactly?" Lara questioned.

Kassandra smiled. "Welcome to the island of Seriphos."

Sam rushed past them and jumped on the dock, taking a few steps before kneeling down to touch the ground. "Dryland, I've missed you!" Lara and Kassandra joined her, laughing at her antics. "I didn't puke." She smiled proudly.

Lara smiled at her. "I'm proud of you."

"I would have made you clean up if you did," The mercenary said with a straight face.

The producer snorted. "No way, I'm too charming!"

"Not enough for me to clean up your mess!" The tall woman winked at Lara, letting her know it was all just for fun.

The filmmaker gasped as she stood up. "I'll remember that!" She pouted like a petulant child.

"I'm sure you will, prinkipissa." Kassandra chuckled, ruffling her friend's hair teasingly. "Now, let's get on our way." She set off toward a small path on the side.

Lara put her arm around her wife's shoulder. "I would have cleaned it up for you."

"And that's why I married you, sweetie." Sam grinned.

"Because I offered to be your maid?" The Englishwoman pretended to be offended.

"No silly, because you're my ride or die, girl." The producer kissed her wife's cheek before following Kassandra.

* * *

Lara and Sam followed Kassandra for a while, enjoying the scenery until Lara couldn't keep her question to herself. "Can you tell us why we're here now? I don't like following people without knowing why. My track record proves that most of the time, it doesn't end well."

"Do you trust me, Lara?"

"I do," Lara paused before adding. "At least you gave us enough reasons to but people I trusted betrayed me in the past…"

"Is it bad?" Sam jumped in. "Is that why you don't want to tell us?"

"No, it's nothing like that I..." Kassandra sighed, slowing her pace. "I met a little girl a few seasons ago. She was working alone in a clay pit so I felt the need to check up on her. She wanted some help to craft some goo-werry, as she called it, for her friends. So I did help but when I went to her house I realized her friends were made of clay…"

Sam smiled. "I think it's cute."

"It was, until Khloe told me her dead mater had made her promise to live her life and make some friends. I guess, she took it the wrong way, she had no one..."

"Oh no, poor thing," Sam said sadly. They had run into a few orphans since they arrived and every time, her heart broke for them. Social services weren't a thing yet. It wasn't perfect in their century but at least, it provided children some shelter. Here, they were left to fend for themselves.

"What did you do?" Lara inquired.

"I couldn't tell her it was wrong, I could break her heart," The Spartan woman answered sadly. "I came back the next day and she was crying because the rain had taken away her friends. I felt bad."

"I would have done the same thing." The archaeologist admitted, trying to comfort her in her choice.

"Me too." The petite woman hooked her arm with Kassandra's in a silent gesture of support. "So, we're here to see her?"

"Yes." Kassandra squeezed Sam's hand with a grateful smile. "I didn't want Khloe to be alone. People in her village thought that she was cursed so I found her a nice family. I try to visit her now and then."

"That's so sweet." Sam cooed. "Why didn't you tell us from the start?"

"I don't know, I didn't want to look…"

Sam arched an eyebrow. "What? Human?"

"It doesn't matter now, we're here." Kassandra motioned toward the farm in front of them and detached her arm. She pushed the fence door open before looking around, her smile growing as she spotted the girl playing with a toy.

Khloe turned around as she heard footsteps, her face lighting up as she recognized her friend. She stood up and ran toward her. "Kassandra!" She jumped into her arms.

"Chaire, little one." The misthios settled Khloe on her hip. "How are you?"

"I missed you."

"I missed you too." Kassandra kissed the girl's forehead before putting her down.

"I made some new friends!" Khloe said excitedly, taking her friend's hand as she started walking toward the neighbors' house. "You need to see them!"

"You did." The Spartan soldier smiled. "Real ones or…?"

"Yes!"

"That's good."

Sam watched the scene with a soft smile on her face. "She's good with kids. I know the type, tough on the outside, soft on the inside." Lara opened her mouth, ready to make a comment but then Sam added. "I hope I'll get to see you as a mom someday." She kissed her wife's cheek lovingly before going to say hi to the little girl.

Lara smiled to herself before following Sam. Maybe Kassandra was right, Sam and her might not be perfect but they were perfect for each other and at the end of the day, their love was what mattered to her the most. No matter the hardship, as the long as she had Sam, she knew it would be alright.

* * *

After visiting Khloe, the women sailed toward Andros. Before long, they arrived on the island. Lara looked around, they were on a beach, surrounded by trees and rocky hillsides, nothing out of the ordinary for a Greek island. The couple followed Kassandra down a sandy path.

"How did you find this place?" Lara questioned as they approached the forge.

"A friend of mine stumbled into it during one of his travels," Kassandra answered, stopping in front of the massive rock door.

Sam put her hand on the long crack on the wall. "It looks sealed shut, how do we get in?"

The mercenary smirked. "With this." She grabbed her spear and put it in front of the door, watching it open.

"Impressive." The producer smiled before looking at her wife with a pout. "I wish I had my camera."

"I know, love." Lara chuckled. "But we would look even more out of place." She then turned to Kassandra. "How do you want us to do this?"

"Uh…" The Spartan woman scratched her neck, unsure. "Maybe you could just hold my hand so, uh, the forge can see that you are with me?"

The archaeologist frowned. "Is it sentient?"

Kassandra shrugged. "I don't know but I don't want the Gods to strike you down because you are not supposed to be here…" She offered her hands for her friends to take. Lara and Sam looked at each other before taking the woman's hands.

Sam glanced at their hands before giggling. "Oh my God, it looks like the start of a Youporn video."

"Sam!" The Englishwoman turned bright red.

The mercenary looked at Sam in confusion. "What is Youporn?"

"It's where you can watch people have sex with someone, or people or even things sometimes." The filmmaker tried to explain.

"Oh…" Kassandra paused before smirking. "Well, I had a night with twins that started like that."

"Blimey," Lara stared at them in disbelief. "You two are impossible."

Sam laughed at her wife's red-face. "Come on, let's go before Lara has a seizure."

They stepped inside carefully. When nothing happened, Kassandra let go of her friends' hands and kept walking toward the middle of the forge. Lara and Sam looked around in awe.

The archaeologist stopped in front of a stele. "It's the same symbols, and this light…"

"It's the same glow coming from parts of the floor and the walls." The producer pointed out.

"Lara, Sam, come here," Kassandra called as she waited in front of a mold in form of a spear. Once her friends were close enough, she started explaining. "I usually put my spear here." She held the weapon in front of the spear form hole. "And then here." She pointed at another engraving in form of a triangle. "I put the gold piece I used on you the first time that we met."

Lara stepped closer, studying the mold. "And it upgrades your spear?"

"If by upgrade you mean making it stronger, then yes."

"It doesn't look like anything we know," The Englishwoman stated.

"It looks like something from the future." Sam moved away to inspect the rest of the room. "And not even ours."

"It doesn't make any sense…" Lara sighed in frustration. The more they tried to figure out the situation, the more questions arose. "How can it be from the people from before?"

"And who are they?" The filmmaker wondered.

Kassandra shrugged helplessly. "I have no answer to these questions."

"Maybe a highly advanced civilization which disappeared..." The archaeologist took a guess. "All the steles, this place, and your spear, it all could be the remnants of it…"

"Lara." Sam motioned for her wife to come and take a look. "There are spots for different weapons. Maybe that's what we're looking for?"

The Englishwoman touched the mold with the shape of a sword. "Another weapon with the same powers as the spear. It could make sense…" She turned her attention to the mercenary. "Is there anything else you can tell us about this place?"

The Spartan woman shook her head. "No, I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Lara smiled at her despite her disappointment. "Thank you for bringing us here."

Sam squeezed her wife's shoulder. "At least we know a bit more now."

"You can take a moment to look around." Kassandra offered. "I'll wait for you at the door, keeping it open."

* * *

When Lara and Sam joined Kassandra at the door, the woman was talking in a hushed tone with Barnabas. The mercenary smiled at her friends as she folded back a parchment and gave it to the captain. "I have things to attend to in Athens."

"Then we'll go with you." Lara declared without hesitation.

"You can't."

The archaeologist frowned. "Why?"

"It's personal," Kassandra answered simply, motioning for Barnabas to go back to the ship.

"Come on, we're friends." Sam jumped in.

"I know." The mercenary said softly. "But I can't bring you with me, it's dangerous."

"We can defend ourselves," Lara argued. "I would love to see Athens. It was one of the safest places during the war at the time."

"From the soldiers maybe but threats come in all forms, politicians, generals, cultists... Besides, with the way you talk, people are bound to ask questions. I can barely fit in and I'm from here."

"Are you hiding things from us?" Lara questioned, turning suspicious. "You promised us a week."

The mercenary sighed. "It's about my family, I have to do it alone."

"What should we do then?" Sam knew Kassandra had her own things to do but she was also painfully aware that they needed the woman if they ever wanted to go back to their time. "We are supposed to stay with you, you're our ticket out of here."

Kassandra seemed to think for a moment. "I can introduce you to Herodotos. I'm sure he could have some answers to your questions and wouldn't mind staying with you."

Lara gasped. "Herodotos? The first historian?" She stared at her friend mouth opened.

The filmmaker chuckled. "Thanks, hun, I think you broke her."

"You know him?" The Englishwoman inquired with excitement. "Our history books are full of his discoveries."

"He's a friend of mine, yes," Kassandra replied, amused by Lara's reaction. "He was the one who told me about the ancient forge…"

"I…" Lara smiled. "It would be amazing to speak with him. We know so little about the man himself."

"Nerd!" Sam poked Lara's arm teasingly.

"It's Herodotos!"

"You're so cute." The producer smiled lovingly.

"It's settled then." The mercenary nodded. "I'll ask him to visit you." She started walking toward the ship. "We'll stop somewhere safe for you to stay while I'm gone."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

 **A/N: I had a hard time figuring out how to put everything in this chapter to end it where I wanted to so it's a long one but I hope it will make up for the wait. It was hell to write so some feedback would be super welcome, thanks.**

* * *

Kassandra docked the Adestria on Mykonos and left her friends on the ship while she went looking for someone.

As Sam and Lara waited for the mercenary to come back, they started interrogating Odessa who had a knowing smile on her face.

"Why are we in Mykonos? Is it the safest place right now?" Lara questioned.

"I think it has more to do with the woman ruling over the island than the place itself."

The archaeologist frowned. "What's so special about her?"

Sam noticed the smirk on Odessa's face and instantly connected the dots. "Wait, is she the one who stole our Kassie's heart?"

"Kyra, yes." Odessa chuckled. "Kassandra must really care about you if she's willing to put everything aside and ask for her help."

The producer smiled. "Or maybe we have a good influence on her."

Odessa shrugged. "No matter the reason, nothing should happen to you here."

Kassandra came back an hour later with Kyra at her side. After a quick introduction, the mercenary bid them goodbye, clearly aware that if she stayed longer, it would be harder to leave.

"I didn't expect my reunion with Kassandra to go that way…" Kyra said after watching the mercenary sail away. "But after what she did for us, I'm more than happy to help. You'll be safe here."

Lara smiled in grateful appreciation. "Thank you, it's very kind of you."

"Soooo Kyra, you're Kassandra's mystery woman, right?" Sam asked, unable to hide her curiosity any longer as she followed the leader toward her house. "It's nice to finally meet you."

"Sam!" The Englishwoman chastised.

"What?"

"We barely know her." Lara looked at her disapprovingly. "Couldn't you wait?"

"Honestly? No, it's killing me!"

"You…" Lara stared at her wife before laughing at her antics. "You're bloody unbelievable, you know that?" She shook her head fondly.

"It's okay, I don't mind," Kyra reassured with a chuckle. "Is that what the mighty misthios told you?"

"She didn't say much but we're not blind." The filmmaker paused before adding. "Well, I'm not. My wife can be a bit oblivious about these kinds of things."

"Hey!"

The leader laughed. "You make a cute couple."

"Thank you." Sam smiled kindly at her. "So, you and Kassandra?"

Kyra smiled back sadly. "We… It's complicated…"

"Yeah, that's what I've gathered." Sam patted the leader's arm. "But if she's the one, you'll find a way."

"May the Gods hear you…"

* * *

Sam and Lara spent most of the next day visiting Mykonos. Before the sunset, Lara decided to surprise her wife with a picnic and led her to a nice spot on a hill.

"What do you think?" The archaeologist questioned once they arrived.

Sam looked around, her smile slowly growing when she saw what her wife had prepared for her. There was a rug on the ground with flower petals scattered all over it. It was covered with plates full of fruits and different type of food. The view of the island was also breathtaking. "Oh, sweetie…"

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes but." The filmmaker frowned. "You were with me all day, when did you find the time to do all this?"

Lara smiled. "Kyra helped…" She cleared her throat. "I did this because I wanted to apologize."

Sam arched an eyebrow. "For what?"

"Being an arse…" The Englishwoman said sheepishly.

"You're gonna have to be more specific."

"Who's being an arse now?"

Sam chuckled but quickly turned serious when she realized something was really bothering her wife. "Tell me what's on your mind."

"I wasn't the nicest to Kassandra at first, and I made a few passive aggressive comments to you…"

"And why?" The producer prodded gently despite knowing the answer.

Lara let out a long sigh. "Because I was jealous."

"Yeah, I figured but I didn't do anything wrong. I mean, yes, Kassandra is hot but that doesn't mean I'm gonna jump her bones as soon as you're not looking. She's just a friend."

"No, no, it's not you." The archaeologist shook her head. "It's, it's me. She's… She's lovely and you were just trying to be her friend. You're affectionate, it's in your nature and I love that about you… I was just… insecure."

"About my love for you?"

"No, about how you could do better." Lara sighed. "I know we've been over this before, but some fears are harder to die than others." She took Sam's hands in hers. "I love you, so, so much, and I feel so lucky to have you in my life but a part of me still thinks that I don't deserve you, that you should just run away and have a more peaceful life."

"I'll never judge you for having those fears. I know you have them, just like I have mine. I am terrified of losing you. I am scared that one day you'll realize I'm a burden keeping you away from all your treasure hunts. Sometimes, I'm also afraid to see you go on an expedition and never come back to me because you died there, alone." Sam confessed. "But when the dark thoughts come, we need to talk to each other, not shut down like a clam."

"I know, it's my thing," The Englishwoman admitted. "I'm doing better though."

"You're doing great."

Lara kissed her wife's hand. "Thank you."

"Of all the things you should fear, losing me shouldn't be one of them." The filmmaker cupped Lara's cheeks tenderly. "I love you, Lara Croft. You are amazing and I married you for a reason, hundreds of them actually. We complete each other and I'm planning on spending the rest of my life with you, by your side as we travel the world, one adventure at the time." She smiled. "Next time, maybe not one with a machine that sends our soul into the past, but you know…"

Lara chuckled. "Yeah."

"Stop worrying that pretty head of yours."

"I wouldn't resent you, if one day, you've had enough of this life."

"I won't," Sam affirmed.

The archaeologist removed Sam's hands from her face. "How can you be so sure?"

"I have a shitload of baggage too," The producer reminded her. "But you still thought I was worth the fight when I felt like I was nothing."

"You're everything and you are not a burden, you're a blessing, a light."

"And you're my light too, so rest easy, sweetie, I'm not going anywhere and as great as Kassandra is, I'm not planning on leaving you for her."

"Okay, good." Lara nodded, trying to rein in her anxious thoughts.

"Do I need to say it again?"

"No."

"Good!" Sam smiled. "I love you, butthead."

"I love you too, darling." Lara leaned in and kissed her wife softly.

"Now, I hope you found us some good wine because I can't drink any more of the shit Kassandra keeps offering us."

The Englishwoman laughed. "Yes, Kyra gave me a nice one."

"Great." Sam settled on the rug and patted the spot next to her. "Let's watch the sunset while you woo me."

"Yes, dear."

* * *

The next couple of days, Sam and Lara went over everything they knew so far, about the artifact, about Kassandra and her family. They even borrowed a little fishing boat to visit Delos and explore the tomb of Brizo Kassandra had told them about. There, they studied the stele and tried to decipher its meaning.

On the third day, the couple caught sight of the Adestria as it approached the island. They made their way to the dock to welcome the crew. Barnabas was the first to greet them before handing them a letter from Kassandra who was still in Athens.

Lara quickly read it. ' _Lara, Sam, I hope this letter finds you well. The plague is spreading in Athens and a few of our leaders died because of the cult. I need to stay here a little longer but I am sure Herodotos will keep you company and explain the situation in more details. Since chaos reigns in the streets, I was afraid for the safety of one of my friends and sent her away so you could keep her safe. Please protect her._ _May Artemis guide you in these dark times. Kassandra._ '

Sam frowned and asked Barnabas. "Who's her friend?"

"That would be me." A little girl appeared at Barnabas's side.

"But." Lara looked at the captain in confusion. "She's a child."

"No, I'm not," The girl puffed her chest out and lifted her chin proudly. "I am a soon to be me misthios."

The producer laughed. "Is that so?"

"Yes."

"What's your name, sweetie?" Sam asked gently.

"Phoibe"

"Nice to meet you Phoibe, I'm Sam and this is Lara."

Phoibe looked at the archaeologist. "You're pretty."

The Englishwoman chuckled. "Thank you."

Another man joined them on the dock, smiling at Lara. "You must be Lara." The man offered his hand. "I am Herodotos. Kassandra told me you were looking forward to meeting me."

Lara's eyes widened. "I… You… Yes…"

"Don't mind her," Sam jumped in as she tried not to laugh at her wife's reaction. "I think she is just impressed by you. I'm Sam, it's nice to meet you."

Once Lara got over her little freaking out moment, the group made its way toward Kyra's house as Herodotos explained the situation in Athens.

* * *

Lara and Sam spent the next hour talking with Herodotos about the ancient forge he had found in hope that it could help them figure out what was the artifact they were looking for.

After a while, Sam left Lara with her new friend to check on Phoibe who was playing outside with a sad look on her face. They talked for a moment until the girl confessed that she had been attacked by the cult and rescued by Kassandra. She was afraid that her friend was now in trouble because of her. Sam asked Phoibe to sit with her on a bench and explained that it wasn't her fault and Kassandra would be okay. She promised the little girl that Lara and she would take care of her until the misthios came back.

At night, when Lara and Sam had settled in one of the guest rooms of the house, they heard some crying coming from the room next to theirs. They stopped talking and listened for a moment.

Sam sighed. "Phoibe is crying…"

"Poor girl, she's stuck in the middle of a war that isn't her own." Lara stared at the wall as if she could see Phoibe. "Should we check up on her?"

"I'll go." The producer pushed the cover away.

"I could go if you want to rest, I mean." The archaeologist scratched her neck. "I think I'm good with children."

"You are and I love that about you." Sam smiled softly. "But we had a little chat earlier and I think I know what this is about." She kissed her wife's cheek before standing up.

"Okay. Perhaps I could teach her how to use a bow, it would keep her mind busy."

"I'm sure she would love that. Be right back." The filmmaker grabbed an oil lamp and left the room. She took a few steps to reach the tiny room Phoibe was staying in and knocked softly before entering. "It's Sam, are you alright, sweetheart?" She saw the girl hastily wipe her tears away.

"Just a nightmare…"

"About what happened in Athens?" When Sam was only met by a small nod, she continued. "Oh sweetie, it's okay, you're safe now." She stepped closer to the bed. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Phoibe shook her head, pulling her knees close to her chest as is she was trying to protect herself.

"Maybe a hug then?" The producer asked gently to show the girl that she wasn't here to hurt her.

Phoibe seemed to hesitate before finally looking at Sam. "Yes, if you don't mind…" She shifted over on the bed to make space.

"Of course not." Sam put the oil lamp on the table in the corner before settling on the bed and wrapping the little girl in a warm hug. "You miss Kassandra, don't you?"

The girl sighed, slowly relaxing in the comforting arms of her new friend. "Yes. After my parents died, she became a sister to me."

"Well, I know it's not the same but Lara and I are here for you. We'll gladly fill the sister's role if you want us to."

"Really? Two more sisters? Cool!"

The filmmaker chuckled. "Why don't you try to get some sleep? I'll stay with you until you fall asleep."

"Thank you, adelfí."

In the other room, Lara was still waiting for her wife to come back. After another thirty minutes, she decided to go check up on her and Phoibe. She smiled softly when she found Sam lying on the bed with the girl holding her for dear life. "Is she okay?" She whispered.

Sam gave her a tired smile. "I think so, yeah."

"Are you coming to bed?"

"I tried to leave but every time I do, her grip tightens and…" The producer looked at her wife apologetically.

"Wait here." Lara left the room and came back two minutes later with a pillow and a blanket under her arms. She settled them on the floor, on top of the rug lying in front of the bed. She studied her makeshift bed and nodded in satisfaction. "That should do the trick."

"Sweetie, you don't have to stay…"

"I want to." Lara leaned in to kiss her wife's forehead. "Get some rest, love." She made sure Sam was comfortable before lying down.

* * *

A couple of days later and after a lot of discussions with Herodotos, Lara asked Phoibe if she wanted her to teach her how to use a bow and the girl joyfully agreed.

They were all in the garden. Phoibe was holding Lara's bow as the woman showed her the basics while Sam was talking with Kyra. When the leader left, the producer laid down and enjoyed the sun. She kept her eyes on her wife, a small smile on her face as her heart slowly filled with hope, hope for a future where they could be three, with a child and a happy family. She was torn away from her thoughts when she heard a "Psst!" She frowned and turned around to see where it was coming from. She eventually spotted Kassandra who was gesturing at her and Lara to come inside. When she tried to speak, the mercenary shook her head, nodding in direction of Phoibe. She guessed her friend didn't want to be seen yet and needed to talk to them first. Knowing that the girl wouldn't stay outside if Lara and her were gone, she walked toward her wife and discreetly mouthed. 'Kassie, inside'. She cleared her throat. "Phoibe, why don't you show me what you've learned while Lara gets some rest?"

Once Lara was sure the girl was distracted, she hurried inside the house to meet her friend. She was waiting in a small study. "Hey, are you okay?"

The mercenary had quite a few new cuts and bruises on her face and body. "I am, don't worry. Are you?"

"We are." Lara could see the woman was in pain but decided not to mention it. "Did you see Kyra?"

"Yes, we talked for a while but I wanted to talk to you as well before I see Phoibe."

"Sam is trying to keep her busy. Phoibe, she's…" The archaeologist stopped. Maybe it wasn't the right time to mention the girl's psychological state. "What happened in Athens?"

Kassandra let out a painful sigh. "I found a real lead on my mother but I lost friends. I almost lost Phoibe too…"

"The cultists…"

"Yes… and my brother. He wasn't part of the group who tried to kill Phoibe but he was around. It could have been one of his orders..." The Spartan woman leaned against the desk. "I don't think I've mentioned it before but he's one of them. He was raised by a crazy woman who let my mother think her child was dead."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Did you talk to him?"

"I tried to make him see reason but…"

"But?" Lara prodded.

Kassandra sighed once again. "At what point is it too late?"

"Beg your pardon?"

"I was so relieved when I found Phoibe just in time and yet so angry..." The mercenary balled her fists as the memory flashed into her mind. "I was ready to kill whoever was standing in my way and then I stumbled into Alexios, just before he sliced Pericles's throat."

"But…" Lara frowned. She remembered that part of history quite well. "But Pericles died from the plague!"

"No, I was there, I saw him." Kassandra insisted, her eyes lost in the distance. "And I was… I think I could have killed him." She locked eyes with her friend. "So my question is, when is it too much? He's my family but…"

The Englishwoman paused before answering, trying to process everything and find the right words. "I can't tell you what to do, it's up to you to decide where to draw the line. Family is… complicated. I just know that, no matter how much you want to help someone, some people can't be saved and, some things can't be forgiven, no matter how much you love them. Do what you can but, for your own good, prepare yourself for the worst and accept that, at some point, you might have to stop him…"

"You are right."

They stayed in comfortable silence until Lara said. "You are allowed to be angry, you know, upset and sad. Everything that you are feeling right now is valid."

The mercenary chuckled, grateful and self-deprecating. "Am I so transparent?"

"No." Lara smiled kindly. "I'm just, a lot like you, I suppose…"

"So what do you do in those moments?"

"I talk to Sam. Well, no." Lara chuckled to herself. "To be honest, I sulk in my office, alone, then she comes and finds me after a while, when she thinks it's enough and just… put my mind at ease..."

"What would she say?" Kassandra asked, the hint of a smile on her face.

"You can talk to her if you want but, I guess, she would tell you, you don't have to be Superman."

The Spartan woman frowned in confusion. "Who is this super man?"

The archaeologist laughed. "He's our modern Heracles. It just means, we are only human. It's okay to be tired and put your weapons down for a moment to rest, to heal before going back into battle."

Kassandra hummed in agreement. "It's a wise piece of advice. I just wish I could do more."

"I know it's not much comfort but, we are here," Lara said in a show of support. "We'll be happy to help you, and I'm not saying that just because we were sent here to find an artifact but because we appreciate you."

"Thank you."

"Lara, come!" They heard Phoibe called from outside and laughed.

"I better join her or she's going to rush in here." Lara declared with amusement in her voice. "Are you coming?"

"In a minute." Kassandra waited for Lara to leave the room before slouching further against the desk. She buried her head into her hands and sighed wearily. She didn't know how long she stayed like that but when she looked up, Sam was standing at the door. "Did Lara send you?"

"She said you could use some cheer up."

The mercenary moved away from the desk. "She is a great listener."

"She is." Sam smiled.

"Did she tell you what happened?"

"Briefly, we didn't want Phoibe to hear us." The filmmaker looked at her bruised and battered friend. "What do you want to do now?"

"I came here to make sure you were all okay but now that I know my Mater is in Naxos, I have to go there." The Spartan woman informed her.

"It's great." Sam noticed the lack of excitement on the mercenary's face. "Wait, you don't look happy about it."

"It has been 17 years, I don't really know what to tell her, especially about her son…"

"When you'll stand in front of her, I'm sure you'll know. Just speak from the heart. And regarding your brother, we all do bad things…"

Kassandra chuckled dejectedly. "It goes beyond that…"

"Blood doesn't mean family, you know?" Sam knew that more than anyone. Most of her life, her parents had been distant, absent, one of them too pushover and the other too controlling. But once she was old enough, she built her own family, with Lara and their friends. Even if her parents had changed in the past couple of years, trying to be more present for her, at the end of the day, her chosen family was what mattered to her the most. "Phoibe is like a little sister to you and it's important. What if she had been killed? Would you have forgiven him, just for the illusion of a happy family?"

"Probably not."

"Maybe it's not too late yet but if he's beyond saving..."

"I'll have to stop him, I know."

"I'm sorry," Sam said sympathetically.

"It's not your fault." Kassandra waved the apology away.

"I wish we could help you."

"You do," The mercenary assured her. "You helped me several times in the past. You even took care of Phoibe when I couldn't, even though you didn't have to. It means something to me."

"She's a feisty one."

"She is." Kassandra agreed with a small smile before it dropped. "I can't believe I almost lost her."

"Hey, she's safe, that's what matters." The producer reminded her. "I can see you need a hug, come here." She didn't give her friend time to react before hugging her.

Lara stepped inside the room, ready to speak but stopped when she saw the scene. All her jealousy was gone, she just felt bad for the woman, knowing how painful some choices could be. Yes, she knew all so well about loss and sacrifices.

Kassandra saw her and tensed but when Lara smiled at her kindly and nodded, she relaxed and nodded back. She broke the embrace. "Maybe the Gods have sent you my way for a reason."

"I don't know about the Gods, but I'm glad I met you." Sam declared just before Phoibe barged in.

"Kassandra, you're back!" The girl rushed toward her and hugged her tightly. "I need to show you something, Lara taught me how to use a bow!"

The mercenary ruffled her hair affectionately. "Go ahead, I'll be there in a minute". Once it was just the three of them, she looked at Sam and Lara. "Thank you, both of you." She smiled before walking toward the door.

Lara squeezed the woman's arm as she came closer. "Are you gonna be okay?"

"Yes." Kassandra quickly changed the subject as she made her way outside, followed by her friends. "So you taught the kid how to use a bow?"

"I did, I hope it's okay?" Lara asked.

"Well, I guess it's time she learns how to defend herself, I've sheltered her long enough… Anyway, how about a friendly competition?"

Lara laughed. "Do you really want to lose in front of Phoibe?" She raised an eyebrow.

Kassandra laughed with her. "Let's see who Artemis's favorite is then."

Sam shook her head, amused. "Does everything have to be a competition with you two?"

* * *

When Kassandra and Lara realized it was a tie, they ended up letting Phoibe win. Soon it was lunch time and they all settled together with Kyra to eat.

Sam watched Kassandra and Kyra interact with a small smile on her face. They were sitting really close to each other and kept laughing. It was nice to see her friend so carefree for once.

Lara was also paying attention to the exchange. After the leader made a particular comment to make the mercenary laugh, she leaned closer to her wife and whispered. "Did Kassandra just…"

"Giggle?" Sam finished with laughter in her eyes. "Definitely."

Later, Kyra excused herself to go back to her office and kissed Kassandra's cheek. Before the mercenary could leave the table, Sam decided to tease her. "Someone is smitten."

Kassandra gasped. "I am not."

"You so are!" The producer smirked.

"No! I'm, she …" The Spartan woman spluttered, flustered. She stood up abruptly.

Sam moved next to her and started singing. " _Who'd'ya think you're kiddin'. She's the Earth and heaven to you, try to keep it hidden. Honey, we can see right through you. Girl, ya can't conceal it,_ _we know how ya feel and, who you're thinking of…_ "

"What is she singing?" The mercenary looked surprised and confused.

"It's a tale for kids about Heracles and Megara." The archaeologist explained to her.

The filmmaker turned to her wife. "Lara, back me up!"

"Oh no," Lara shook her head vehemently. "I won't sing."

"Come on, at least speak the words!" Sam insisted with a pleading smile.

"No…" Lara saw her wife's pouty face and rolled her eyes. "Chance, no way." She continued the song, speaking the words with no convention. "I won't say it, no, no."

Sam grinned brightly and kept singing. " _You swoon, you sigh why deny it, uh-oh…"_

"By the Gods." Kassandra groaned. "You two are crazy."

The producer laughed. "Tell us everything!"

"You have a beautiful voice," The Spartan woman complimented, avoiding to answer. "One of a muse."

"Thank you but don't change the subject."

"There is nothing to say. I still have a lot of things to do before…" Kassandra gestured at nothing and everything around.

"There's no hurry." Sam smiled sympathetically. "It doesn't look like she's going anywhere."

"May the Gods hear you…"

* * *

Early the next morning, Lara and Sam were woken up by some shouting. Confused, Lara carefully left the room to investigate. She bumped into Phoibe who was standing in the hallway.

"What's happening?" The girl rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"I'm gonna have a look, go back to bed, darling." Lara gently nudged her back inside her room. "I'll call if you if it's important." Once she was sure Phoibe wouldn't follow her, she made her way toward the source of the noise. She stopped in front of the slightly ajar door of Kyra's bedroom and listened.

"So what?" Kyra shouted. "You thought you would just get up early and leave without saying goodbye?!"

"No, I wanted to make sure the crew would be ready to leave as soon as I'm done here." Kassandra barked back.

"Don't lie to me. You knew I wanted to come with you and…"

Lara heard footsteps and turned her head to the side to see Sam. When her wife asked what was going on, she explained the situation to her.

"Seriously!" Without hesitation, the producer pushed the door open, not bothering to knock.

"Sam, no wait!" The archaeologist groaned.

Sam cleared her throat to get the women's attention. "What's going on here?"

"Kassandra tried to leave without us," Kyra told her, crossing her arms.

"I would have said goodbye!" The mercenary defended herself.

"It's not the problem," The leader insisted. "I said I would come with you."

"Count us in too." The filmmaker declared.

The Spartan woman shook her head. "It's my Mater, it's something I have to do alone."

"We can stay on the ship while you meet her but after what happened in Athens, I don't think it's wise to stay apart." Lara finally jumped in. "We are stronger together."

"I've waited long enough," Kassandra stated.

"Then we can pack and leave this morning." The Englishwoman replied quickly. "We couldn't find anything regarding the artifact here anyway."

The mercenary scoffed. "It's all your care about, isn't it?"

"Come on, that's uncalled for." Sam protested.

"No by any means, let's hear what she has to say because apparently, she already forgot what we discussed yesterday." Lara snapped, annoyed by her friend's attitude.

"I have nothing else to say, it's a journey I have to take alone," Kassandra repeated, ignoring the sad look Kyra was sending her to focus on Lara. "I don't have time to protect you while you go on your little treasure hunt."

The archaeologist crossed her arms. She could understand her friend's frustration, she was frustrated too. She was getting restless by the lack of clue on how to leave but it wasn't fair of Kassandra to snap at them. "We can take care of ourselves, we don't need to be coddled."

"Then why are you still here?" The mercenary took a step closer to Lara. "Go find your artifact on your own."

Lara stood her ground, leaning closer to the mercenary's face. "That's bloody rich coming from someone…"

Sam warily glanced at her friend then at her wife. "Lara…" She cut her off.

"Kassandra," Kyra called, trying to diffuse the situation. "Please, let's…"

"No, this conversation is over." Kassandra cut her off before leaving the room.

Sam frowned. "What's gotten into her?"

"We spent the evening together," Kyra explained. She saw Sam arch an eyebrow. "Not like that, we talked. I tried to push her to confide in me but we ended up fighting. When I woke up, I went to see her, to apologize, and she was preparing Phobos as if she couldn't wait to leave."

"What now?" Lara asked to no one in particular.

"I have work to do, if you'll excuse me." The leader announced. She nodded and exited the room.

The producer stepped next to her wife and engulfed her in a hug. "I'm starting to doubt we'll ever leave this place." She mumbled against her neck.

"We will, I promise." Lara pulled Sam closer. "But perhaps it's time to find another the way to leave."

"The emergency switch?"

"Yes. We don't know enough about the artifact Dr. Zuller asked us to find. Do we even want to give him its location without knowing what he could do with it?"

"Good point."

They stayed in each other's arms for a while.

* * *

Lara was in the garden, scribbling a few ideas down about how they could wake up from the animus when Kyra approached her.

"Is she gone?" The leader asked, sitting next to her new friend on the bench.

The archaeologist shrugged. "I saw her leave toward the dock after talking to Phoibe."

Kyra sighed. "By Hera, she can be stubborn."

"Family can be complicated and she has been through a lot… It's not always easy to look at things with a clear head."

"Trust me, I know." Kyra stayed silent for a moment. "Where is your wife?"

"With Phoibe." Lara answered. "The poor kid was sad to see Kassandra leave again."

"Sam is good with her."

"She is."

"Do you two want children?" I mean, how does it even work in the future?"

Lara scratched her neck and chuckled nervously. "I… We… we never had the talk. And yes, science allows same-sex couples to have children but…" She paused. "With the life we live, I don't think it's a good idea…"

"I think you would make great parents." A voice said from behind them. They turned around to see Kassandra.

"What are you doing here? I thought you left." Kyra stood up and crossed her arms defensively.

"I wanted to but…" The mercenary sighed. "You were right. The cult is everywhere and it would be wiser to stay together. You can all come, if you still want to..."

"Alright, I'll tell the others." The leader went inside without sparing a glance at the mercenary.

"Kyra, I…" The Spartan woman tried but her former lover was already gone. She turned to Lara. "How mad is she?"

"She's quite cross with you…"

"And are you?"

Lara sighed. "I was annoyed at first but then I remembered I did the same thing a few times. It's only when I realized that I was hurting myself and the people I love that I stopped rushing headfirst into danger." She chuckled. "Well, not completely but I've learned to accept my friends' help. Isn't that what you told me after you pushed me out of the way of an arrow?"

"I did say that…"

"We are not trying to prevent you from seeing your mother." The archaeologist assured her. "We just want to travel with you, just in case and we'll stay out of the way until you are ready."

"I apologize for my harsh words. I know the situation isn't easy for you either. I still want to help you…"

"We can wait until things calm down but thank you." Lara moved closer to Kassandra and squeezed her arm. "I better get ready if we want to leave soon. I'll see you in a bit."

* * *

They all traveled to Naxos in tense silence, punctuated by failed attempts to start conversations. After docking the ship, Kassandra apologized once again for her behavior. Lara and Sam had moved on from the altercation but Kyra was still clearly upset. Despite the hurt, the leader reassured and encouraged Kassandra before she left to find her mother.

The women kept busy until Kassandra met them, just before nightfall. The mercenary looked shaken but happy. "My mater wants you to join us for dinner."

"Are you okay?" Kyra questioned.

"What happened?" Sam inquired at the same time.

"I'm good. Our meeting went well…" Kassandra trailed off. "When I told her I needed to see my friends, she lectured me on manners and asked me to invite you."

Sam snorted. "Mothers."

"Are you okay with that?" Lara asked to be sure, knowing it was an important moment for her friend. "We don't want to impose."

"I don't mind." The mercenary assured her.

"Can I come too?" Phoibe asked timidly.

"Of course."

"Cool!" Phoibe grabbed Kassandra's hand. "Let's go, I'm starving."

"Okay." The mercenary chuckled and offered her other hand hesitantly for Kyra to take. The leader smiled and accepted it, letting herself be led.

Sam and Lara followed behind them. "They make a cute family." The producer declared.

"They do."

* * *

The next day, Kassandra spent her morning with her mother while the rest of the group took a tour of the island. They all gathered for lunch at Myrrine's house and then settled in the garden.

Lara was enjoying the view of the sea when Kassandra approached her. The mercenary smiled. "What do you think of Naxos so far?"

"It's nice. Your mother did a good job." The archaeologist glanced toward the back of the garden where Myrrine was in a deep conversation with Kyra. "It's humbling to see how after everything that happened to her, she can still be kind and fair in her ruling."

Kassandra nodded in agreement. "I think she knows Kyra is special to me."

"It's good. Have you talked to Kyra? She seemed quite sad after your fight."

"Not yet, but I will."

"Kassandra, look!" Phoibe ran toward them excitedly, pointing at her hair. "Sam did my hair. I have a braid like you now."

Kassandra chuckled, lightly touching the girl's braid. "You look good." She smiled gratefully at Sam who was now joining them. "Did you say thank you?"

Phoibe rolled her eyes. "Yes, I did."

Sam lazily snaked her arm around her wife's waist, careful to avoid Lara's bow. "She was well behaved. A perfect lady." She winked at the little girl before smiling at her friend.

The mercenary opened her mouth to answer but stopped when she heard her mother and Kyra laugh. She turned around wide-eyed before looking back at her friends. "I better make sure my mater doesn't share embarrassing stories." She ignored Sam and Lara's chuckles and made her way toward Myrrine.

"Can we go swimming?" Phoibe asked the couple.

"I don't know, sweetie. We should see what Kassandra wants to do first." The producer answered.

The girl pouted. "Okay…"

"Maybe this evening, we could…" Lara was interrupted by a burning arrow flying through the air, ending its course in the wooden pergola behind them. She heard shouting and looked up to see a group of cultists invading the house.

Sam pushed Phoibe behind her as Lara stepped in front of them, grabbing her bow. Without hesitation, she shot an arrow at the man running toward them before turning her attention to her wife. "Do you still have your dagger?" When Sam nodded, she continued. "Take Phoibe to the rooftop terrace and keep her safe."

The filmmaker took the girl's hand and quickly led her inside the house as Lara aimed at another cultist. Sam pushed Phoibe toward the stairs and told her to go ahead while she grabbed the sword that was on the table. When she turned around, she saw a cultist rush toward the stairs. "Oh no, you won't!" She caught him by the shirt and dragged him backward with force. He landed in the middle of the doorway. As he tried to stand, an arrow hit him right in the head. Sam glanced outside and saw Lara. She nodded in silent thanks before running up the stairs. Phoibe was waiting for her on the first floor. The producer gave the girl her dagger and ordered her to go to the roof. "I'll guard the stairs. Try to lock the trapdoor and don't open it until one of us tell you it's safe." She made sure Phoibe was doing what she had been asked before going back downstairs.

Meanwhile, Lara, Kassandra, Kyra, and Myrrine were all fighting the cultists coming from every side of the property. It was clear that it was a coordinated attack, they were too numerous for it to be random. Suddenly, they heard a high-pitched scream.

"Kassandra!" Phoibe called from the roof.

The mercenary looked up and saw a man climbing the wall to reach the girl. She plunged her sword into the cultist in front of her. "Phoibe!" She scanned around her, she was surrounded and too far to reach the girl in time. She made eye contact with Lara.

Lara realized Kassandra was unable to help. When she glanced inside the house, she saw Sam was busy pushing furniture to block the doors and prevent other cultists from getting in. It was on her. Out of arrow, she unsheathed her sword and made a quick decision. She ran toward the wall, piercing the stomach of a cultist on the way. She tried to pull the weapon out but it was stuck. She decided not to waste any time and left it there before hastily climbing the wall to reach the roof. She hoisted herself to the top and moved next to the little girl. Lara took Phoibe's dagger and threw it at the man's head before he could come closer.

The archaeologist was ready to ask the girl if she was okay but stopped when something flickered in the corner of her eye. She tackled Phoibe to the floor to protect her and hissed in pain when she felt an arrow scratch her arm.

"Lara!" The girl shook in fear, tears in her eyes.

"I'm okay, I'm okay." Lara forced a smile to reassure the girl. "Stay down." She crawled to the side, careful not to be seen before calling for her friend's attention. "Kassandra! Archer, second house on the right when you face the statue."

"On it!" Kassandra punched the cultist to her left and stepped aside so Kyra could kill him with her kopis. She took a few steps toward the front of the house and quickly spotted the archer. She drew her bow and shot, killing him instantly.

The women got rid of the rest of assailants and made sure they were all dead before checking on Lara and Phoibe.

Sam wiped her bloody hand on her cloak and looked toward the roof. "Lara? Are you okay? Phoibe?"

"It's okay, you can come down." Kassandra declared.

Lara stood up carefully and dusted her knees before offering her hand to help Phoibe stand. She scanned the girl's body to make sure she wasn't hurt. She was shaken but otherwise okay. She stepped away and leaned over the edge to look down at her wife and friends. "We're okay." As she finished talking, she heard the faint whistle of an arrow before she felt it pierce through her body. She lowered her eyes to her stomach and saw the blood spread over her linen armor. Her eyes went wide as she stumbled a few steps backward and then fell from the rooftop.

Sam looked in horror and screamed. "Lara!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

 **A/N:** This one was tricky to write. I'm trying to follow the main timeline since the animus makes you a spectator of the past and you can't prevent the events but I also need Lara and Sam to keep moving with their storyline. Like I said once, I don't know a lot about the AC franchise but I try to respect the general concept as much as I can while playing with plotholes and inconsistencies. Apparently, the new Atlantide DLC brings new information but since I won't play it, I might just incorporate elements if it helps.

I put a lot of time and effort into this story so feedback is appreciated and thank you to all the regular reviewers who take the time to comment.

* * *

"Lara!" Sam called again as Kassandra got rid of the archer. The filmmaker rushed to the side of the house where her wife had fallen. She braced herself for the sight she was sure to encounter but stopped dead in her tracks when she saw nothing on the ground. She looked around frantically. There was no sign of Lara, her body or even blood anywhere. "Lara?!" She cried out desperately.

The other women joined her. "Where is she?" Kassandra asked in confusion.

"I don't know," Sam answered, her voice breaking.

Myrrine glanced toward the street. "Do you think they could have taken her?"

"Not enough time." Kyra jumped in. "And I think we killed all of them."

"I don't understand." The producer kept searching with her eyes. "What happened?"

Kassandra's mother stepped closer and squeezed the woman's arm in comfort. "We will find her. I'm going to put my most trustful men on it. Something clearly happened if they decided to attack us right here."

"Do you think it has something to do with the mission you asked me to complete this morning?" The mercenary inquired, a guilty look on her face.

"I don't know." Myrrine looked at her daughter. "Please, don't blame yourself, lamb. The cult is after all of us, it was just a matter of time before they strike." She left them to warn her crew.

"The safety switch..." Sam declared suddenly.

Kassandra pushed her guilt aside to focus on her friend. "What did you say?"

"The animus, the…" The producer realized her friends had no idea what she was talking about. She took a deep breath, trying to find the right words to explain the situation, especially since they didn't know anything about the 21th-century technology. "The device that sent us here, we had a theory that maybe, there was a way to wake up in our own volition. We were trying to find a way to trigger it but..."

The mercenary was trying to follow as best as she could. "Does it mean the pain woke her up?"

"I don't know. Is she just wounded? Is she dead?" Sam started to panic. "If she dies here or if her spirit dies, does it mean she's dead in the present? Is it why she disappeared?" She felt tears streaming down her face. "Oh my God, I'm going to be stuck here forever, and… and… Lara…" A sob escaped her.

Kassandra wrapped her in a tight hug. "It's okay, prinkipissa. You are not alone. I'm going to help you, I promise."

"I'm going to get Phoibe." Kyra excused herself.

The producer held her friend until her tears subsided. "Thank you." She pulled away.

"You're welcome." Kassandra smiled sadly. "What do you want to do know?"

Sam sniffled. "I need a moment alone, if that's alright."

The mercenary nodded. "I'm going to make sure none of them escaped and then get rid of the bodies. Call me if you need anything."

The filmmaker nodded before making her way to her room.

* * *

When Sam didn't join them for dinner, Kassandra grabbed a plate and went upstairs to check on her friend. She gently knocked on the door. She waited for an answer but after another minute of silence, she decided to step inside to make sure Sam was okay. She found the room empty and frowned. She searched every room without success before going back downstairs. She made her way to the garden and called her friend's name, worry slowly creeping into her mind. She could only hope Sam hadn't left and got herself in trouble.

"Sam?" Kassandra moved to the side of the house.

"Did you find her?" Kyra asked, joining her.

The mercenary sighed as her eyes fell on her friend. "Yes, I just did…"

Kyra followed her line of sight and saw Sam asleep, her back leaning against to wall, a shirt in her hands. "Oh, poor thing."

"I'll carry her to her room." The Spartan woman took a few steps forward before turning around to look at Kyra. "Can we talk after? I… What happened made me realize… I mean…"

"I'll wait for you." Kyra smiled reassuringly before going back inside.

Kassandra made her way to her friend. She bent down and gathered her in her arms. "Let's put you to bed."

"Lara?" Sam called in her sleep.

"It's Kassandra. It's okay, go back to sleep." The mercenary carried her to her room and kissed the woman's forehead before leaving.

* * *

Sam woke up with a start. She looked around, disoriented. She was still in Greece, still in Myrrine's house. "Lara…" She whipped her head to the side when she heard a noise. Phoibe was at the door, looking like a deer in the headlights.

"Sorry. I… I didn't mean to wake you." Phoibe stared at the floor, twisting her fingers nervously. "Are you okay?"

The filmmaker ran her hand through her hair with a sigh. "I… yeah. What about you, sweetie? Can't sleep?" When the girl shook her head in response, she patted the bed and smiled tiredly. "What's bothering you?"

Phoibe sat down on the side of the bed but didn't move closer. "Are you mad at me?"

The producer frowned. "Of course not, why would I be?"

"You didn't eat with us and it's my fault if Lara is gone." The girl sniffled.

"Oh sweetie, no." Sam pulled the girl closer and hugged her against her chest. "It's not your fault. There are some really bad guys who are trying to hurt us and it has nothing to do with you. If anything, I'm the one who's sorry you had to witness all that. I should have followed you to the roof."

"But then you would be gone…" Phoibe cuddled closer. Her eyes fell on the shirt in Sam's free hand. "Why are you holding that?" She pointed at the piece of clothing.

"It's Lara's shirt…"

"Oh…"

"You should go back to bed, sweetie," The filmmaker said gently.

"Can… Can I stay with you? Kassandra is with Kyra and I don't want to be alone…"

"Sure." Sam moved to the side of the bed to make some space.

"Lara told me you were going on adventures together. Can you tell me about one of them?"

The producer mused. "Once upon a time, Lara and I traveled to…"

* * *

A couple of days passed without any sign of Lara. Sam had searched the island and questioned everyone but it was clear now that Lara was out of the machine and back into the present. What she couldn't understand was why Lara wasn't sent back here if she was fine, and that was what worried her the most, not knowing if her wife was still alive.

After a week, Sam felt hopeless, useless. She knew she had to figure out a way to wake up from the animus and find Lara. In the early morning of the next day, she discreetly left the house and made her way toward the hill.

* * *

Kassandra was looking for Sam. They were supposed to sail to Kirrha, in case Lara had woken up there. She was still confused about the magic spell that had brought her friends into her life but she was ready to do anything she could to help them, even delaying meeting her real father now that her mother had told her where he was…

When it was clear that Sam wasn't in the house, Kassandra started to ask around if anyone had seen her. She found Kyra outside.

"Maybe she went on a walk," Kyra answered when the mercenary questioned her.

"This early and without telling anyone?" The Spartan woman raised a doubtful eyebrow.

Kyra shrugged. "She is quite capable."

"I know that but…"

"Now that you mention it, I thought she was acting strange last night."

"What do you mean?" Kassandra frowned.

"She said some things, like how she was going to miss us or how she hoped we'll find peace once our fight is over. I didn't pay too much attention since I thought she was being wistful but now… Maybe it was a goodbye..."

Kassandra's eyes went wide. "I have to find her. Stay here." She ran toward her horse and mounted him swiftly. "Let's go Phobos!" She kicked the horse to go faster. She needed to check the dock first, in case Sam had convinced Barnabas with a sweet smile to leave without her. Once she made sure the Adestria and the crew were still there and no one had seen Sam, she galloped along the shore in hope to find her friend.

After riding for almost half an hour, Kassandra finally spotted Sam. She was standing on the highest spot of Naxos. Her blood went cold when she saw her friend lean closer to the edge. She rushed as fast as she could toward the hill. When she was close enough, she dismounted Phobos and approached carefully. "Sam…" Her friend only answer was to take a single step closer to the ledge. It was clear now that Sam wasn't just admiring the view. "Please, don't do it."

"I thought about it all night." Sam stared toward the horizon. "It's the only way to know if I can wake up and if Lara is alright."

"What if it kills you?" Kassandra discreetly took a step closer.

The producer shrugged. "Right now I don't really care."

The mercenary looked at her friend sadly. "You don't mean that."

"I just need to know. I can't just wait, I'm…" Sam kept her eyes on the sea and sighed. "I'm tired, Kassandra. I just want to go home with my wife, and I don't even know if Lara is still…"

"Please, just… just wait a little longer…" The Spartan woman insisted, her voice almost betraying her fear of what Sam could do.

"For what exactly?" The filmmaker spun around angrily. "For another lead on a weapon we know nothing about? For a chance to magically wake up? Or for another attack that might kill me?"

"We were supposed to go look for her in Phokis, maybe she's there." Kassandra tried to be hopeful. Sam was finally engaging with her, it was a start.

"I don't think she is…" Sam forced a smile. "But don't worry about me. You should just go find your father."

"I can't leave you, especially if you are ready to end your life."

"I don't want to kill myself," The producer declared, running a hand through her hair. "I just want to free myself from the machine. I don't know what else to do…"

"Come with me to see my father." The mercenary suggested.

The filmmaker shook her head. "I think it's something you should do alone. I'll stay here."

"And I think you should come, Lara would want me to take care of you."

"What would you know?" Sam snapped despite herself.

"Sam…" Kassandra might not know Lara for long but even with the little time they had spent together, it was clear that the woman would want Sam to be safe above everything else.

"I'm sorry, that was uncalled for. You're right, she would. I just… miss her."

"Give us one more week. I'll send someone in Phokis and I'll ask my father, whoever that is, if he knows anything about the people from before. Then, we'll see what we can do…" The mercenary offered her hand for Sam to take, she was still too close from the edge for comfort. "Please, I'm asking nicely."

The filmmaker snorted. "Fine. I'll give you one more week but you have to promise me to let me jump if nothing has changed." She took her friend's hand and let herself be pulled away from the cliff edge.

"I don't want you to."

"Then you better pray the Gods you'll find something because I will do it, whether you like it or not. It's my condition to our deal."

Kassandra put her arm around Sam's shoulder and led her toward Phobos. "Alright…"

* * *

Lara jolted awake, panting heavily as she felt the ghost of a pain in her stomach. She looked around in confusion, blinking a few times until she realized she was back into the present. Her head was pounding like a jackhammer. She licked her dried lips and felt the taste of iron. She sniffled and realized her nose was bleeding.

"Ah good, you are finally awake Mrs. Croft." Dr. Zuller approached her and wiped the blood under her nose with some gauze before throwing it away with a content smile. "I was starting to worry."

The archaeologist scoffed. "Didn't know you care…" He was the last person she wanted to see in her state but if he was planning on torturing her for information, she wasn't going to make it easy for him.

"Only for the sack of the mission," The doctor sneered.

Lara tried to ignore the pain in her head. She focused on the man in front of her. "And what is the mission exactly?"

"You need to find the location of the Staff of Hermes Trismegistus also known as the Caduceus. If you did your homework in school, you should know what it looks like… We were supposed to bring you back sooner to give you more information but it seems that, since your mind is projected into the past, it is harder to have a hold on you, unlike Ms. Makris."

"I would say I'm sorry but…" The Englishwoman saw the slap coming before she felt it. She spat at his face. "You tosser!"

Dr. Zuller grabbed her chin. "You will do as I say."

"Why don't you find it yourself, you coward!?" Lara tried to pull away, her anger slowly boiling inside of her. She refused to be a pawn in a game she had never asked to play. "Why is it so important to you? Do you really think I'm going to tell you the location of a potential weapon?"

"Oh, I think you will." The man let go of his hold and took a step backward.

The archaeologist chuckled humorlessly. "And I think you are delusional."

The doctor smiled darkly. "Am I?" He moved away and reached for a syringe on a surgical tray. He turned toward Lara. "It looks like you don't really care about your own well-being so it would be pointless to threaten you with harm. However, I am sure you would care if anything were to happen to your precious wife." He brought the syringe close to Sam's arm. "It would be a pity, wouldn't it?"

Lara's eyes darted between the man, the syringe and Sam's face. "What's in the syringe?"

"A nice little cocktail, and by that I mean, a deadly one."

"Bastard! Don't touch her!" The Englishwoman struggled against the ties around her wrists. She watched helplessly as the doctor plunged the needle into Sam's arm. "Stop! Stop it!" She shouted frantically. "I will fetch what you need, please, just… leave her alone."

"Good girl." Dr. Zuller removed the needle from Sam's arm. "I am going to send you back. The next time we see each other, I hope you'll have more information, Mrs. Croft. The clock is ticking, not only because I am not known for my patience, but also because the longer you stay in the animus, the more likely you are to lose your mind or you know, your life." He leaned toward the console in between the beds and pressed a few buttons.

"This is not over!" Lara glared at him as she felt her mind slip away.

* * *

Sam was wandering around the garden, lost in her thoughts when she saw movement from above. She stopped walking just in time to see Lara crash on the ground in front of her.

Lara groaned as she hit the floor. "Bloody hell, I'm getting tired of this!"

"Oh my God, Lara!" Sam dropped to her knees and held her wife tightly. She pulled away to cup Lara's face into her hands, as if she couldn't believe she was back.

"Hey…" The archaeologist smiled tiredly. She discreetly checked Sam's arm to make sure Dr. Zuller's action hadn't hurt her and sighed in relief when she realized her wife was fine.

"Can you stand?" The producer questioned before offering her hands to help Lara. Once her wife was up, Sam led her to the side where there were cushions lying on the ground. "Where were you? You literally fell from the sky, like an angel!"

"Does it mean I'm Lucifer? Because I wasn't really in heaven!" Lara joked as she sat down.

"What happened?" The filmmaker stared at her wife with concern. "I was so worried, I thought I had lost you." She caressed Lara's breastplate, right where the arrow had hit her. There was no trace of injury. Maybe waking up in the present had worked as some kind of reboot on her body.

"I'm fine." The Englishwoman reassured. "I was only gone for half an hour."

"Are you kidding? You were gone for a week and half!"

"Really?" Lara frowned. Was time working differently in the animus world? "I… I was back in the present time. Dr. Zuller was there, he told me he had trouble waking us up because we are free spirits in the machine." She grabbed her wife's hands in hers. "Sam, the longer we stay here, the more in danger we are. Our bodies aren't meant to stay plugged to the machine for a long amount of time, it could kill us."

"Well, I'm all for leaving but did he tell you what he wanted this time?"

The archaeologist nodded. "Yes, we're supposed to find the location of the Caduceus staff."

"Okay, wings, snake and Hermes, right?" Sam looked at Lara for confirmation. "At least it's a start… Do you think Kassandra knowns something about it?"

"I don't know, we should ask her." Lara looked around and suddenly realized it was weirdly silent. "Where is everyone?"

"Kassandra went to see her father, she should be back soon. Myrrine is working and Kyra took Phoibe to the beach to keep her busy." The producer informed her.

"Should we join them?" Lara asked as she stood up.

"Maybe later." Sam followed suit. "For now, I'm willing to lose an hour of our life countdown to have you all to myself." She grabbed Lara's cape and led her inside the house.

Lara chuckled. "Lara Croft found dead because her wife wanted to shag."

"Perfect theme for a Greek tragedy." Sam laughed. "But if you want, we can go to the beach…"

Lara swiftly placed one arm behind her wife's back, the other behind her knees and lifted her up effortlessly. "An hour with you is never wasted."

"Oh, charmer! Take me to our room."

"Yes, dear."

* * *

Kassandra came back two days later. When she saw Lara standing in front of her mother's house with Sam, her eyes went wide. She rushed toward her friend and lifted her from the ground, hugging her in relief. "Lara! Thanks the Gods you are well!"

After getting over her surprise, Lara hugged her back. "I'm alright." She laughed.

"I'm sorry for what happened."

"It wasn't your fault." The archaeologist looked down at her feet that were still in the air before smiling at her friend. "Not that I don't appreciate the hug but would you mind putting me down?"

"Oh, I'm sorry." The mercenary smiled sheepishly as she put Lara down. "Thank you for saving Phoibe. I owe you."

Lara shook her head. "You don't owe me anything." She reached out and squeezed Kassandra's arm. "How are you? Sam told me you found your father?"

"Yes, my mater told me where he was."

"How did it go? Who is he? What did he say?" Sam fired questions.

Kassandra sighed. "Who he is doesn't matter. He had me to perpetuate his bloodline, I'm just a weapon…"

"Don't say that," The producer said consolingly. "Your mother loves you very much and Nikolaos was a good father, well until…"

"It's not a good enough reason to have a child. I didn't ask for… It's… Anyway, where were you?" The mercenary suddenly changed subject.

Lara glanced toward her wife and decided to drop the topic. "I woke up in the present day and I was able to gather more information. Have you heard of the Caduceus?"

The Spartan woman blinked in surprise. "Why?" She raised an eyebrow.

The archaeologist noticed the woman's reaction and pursed her lips. It looked like Kassandra knew something but didn't want to answer. "So you have?"

"Who told you about that?" Kassandra crossed her arm.

Just like Lara, Sam noted the change in her friend's behavior and the sudden defensiveness. "Okay, we can't answer questions with questions, do you not want to tell us about it or something?"

"Is that the weapon you are looking for?" The mercenary answered instead.

"Yes." "Maybe." Sam and Lara said respectively.

"Sam!"

"What?" Sam raised her hands. "We have to tell her. It's not like we're going to magically find it just because we know what it is."

Kassandra locked eyes with Lara. "Why didn't you want to tell me?"

"Sam is right, you need to stop with the questions." The Englishwoman sighed tiredly. "I wanted to tell you but then you got defensive so…"

"So you thought you would lie to me." Kassandra accused.

"No!" Lara defended herself. "Just… Do you know anything about it or not?" The conversation wasn't going the way she had intended. She had expected her friend to give them straight answers, not hide crucial information.

"I do, but I'm afraid I can't tell you."

Sam frowned. "Why not?"

"You told me the people who sent you here are ill-intentioned," The mercenary reminded them. "I can't let you lead them to it."

"Why? What does the staff do?" The filmmaker was starting to get frustrated by the conversation that wasn't going anywhere.

"I can't say."

"You have to." Lara insisted.

"I told you I would help as much as I could but I can't tell you where it is, I'm sorry."

"But it's the only way we can leave!" Sam exclaimed.

"I am aware of that but in the wrong hands, it could be disastrous."

"No, you don't understand." The archaeologist squared her shoulders and took a step closer to the mercenary. "I need the location."

"It's not just about you, Lara, I have instructions." Kassandra stood her ground.

"From whom?" Sam tried to keep her voice steady. She could already feel the tension growing between Lara and Kassandra.

"I… Just… Maybe there is another way, maybe we could find another magic weapon you could…"

"And then what happens when they realize we lied!" Lara cut her off. "Just tell us where it is!" She raised her voice, taking another threatening step toward Kassandra.

"Why are you getting so angry?" Kassandra pushed her on the shoulder, forcing her to back off.

"Because they threatened to kill Sam!" Lara shouted as she pushed her back. She balled her fists and took a deep breath to calm down. "And I won't let that happen, even if it means fighting you for it. I might not be sure they're going to release us in the end, but they only need one of us to get what they want and I won't risk her life for your war."

"Wha…" The producer's jaw dropped in surprise. "When did that happen? And why didn't you tell me?"

"Because, I…" Lara stopped talking when Sam hissed in pain and bent over. "Sam!" She reached out to keep her steady on her feet. "What's going on?"

"Oh, God." Sam groaned. "I don't know if it's the Animus reminding me I shouldn't be here or if our little friend started to put his threat into action, but I don't feel good."

"You should go lay down." Lara turned toward Kassandra. "See? We are running out of time! I don't want to help the people who sent us here, trust me. If we survive, I will personally track them down to get the staff back to whoever it belongs to but right now, Sam's safety is my priority. We'll leave as soon as she feels better but I will find the location of the Caduceus and if you want to stop me, you'll have to kill me."

"Lara, please." Sam pleaded her to stop as she felt her knees buckle.

"It's okay, love." Lara lifted her wife and carried her back inside the house.

Kassandra watched them go with a sorrowful look on her face. What now?


	8. Chapter 8

It was late afternoon when Kassandra joined Kyra in the garden. She had gone on a walk to clear her head soon after the fight but she was still torn about the situation they were in.

The mercenary sat wordlessly on the bench next to her lover. They stayed silent for a while, just staring at the sea. "Are they still here?" She finally asked.

"Yes, I brought them some food earlier. Sam was sound asleep…" Kyra answered.

"I don't know what to do," Kassandra confessed after another moment of silence. "I thought I knew what was expected of me but now, after meeting my father in Thera, I'm not so sure anymore…"

Kyra turned her body to face her lover. "Maybe you should think about what you want more than what people want from you."

"It's not that easy."

"Isn't it?"

"No! Not after, I thought…" The misthios sighed in frustration. "My father had me for the wrong reasons, a legacy, but…"

"But what?"

"I still have a mission. The staff that Lara is after, I'm supposed to be the guardian of it, when I'm ready. I might not have asked for it, but it is my duty and it would be selfish of me to ignore it just to settle down. In the wrong hands, the Caduceus could be dangerous." She paused as she hesitated to speak her mind. "Kyra, I… I know that we agreed that, once the cult was destroyed, we would try to be together but…"

"No, stop right there." Kyra stood up, her anger rising with her. "We agreed, _you_ said you would slow down, _you_ said you wanted us to build something together, Kassandra. You can't just keep changing your mind all the time. You're not alone in this anymore."

Kassandra stood up, reaching out for her lover's hands before thinking otherwise. "Things have changed…"

"They always do with you." The leader chuckled somberly. "You can't just stop living because of it!"

"You don't understand, I have a duty!"

"To whom?!" Kyra snapped. "How long are you going to sacrifice yourself for a legacy you didn't choose? You don't owe anything to anyone, you have always lived your life as you saw fit. I'm not telling you to stop fighting for what is right, I'm just telling you to stop punishing yourself for things you didn't ask for."

"Exactly, I didn't ask for it," The Spartan woman argued, her voice rising. "I'm just doing what I must."

"Who asked you to? The Gods? Sparta? A father who was never there for you, too blinded by his own power?"

Kassandra shook her head. "No, it's… it's the people who came before, the Isu, it's complicated…"

Kyra laughed humorlessly "Everybody look at the chosen one, ready to let all her loved ones die for the greater good and a chance to live among the ancient Gods."

"Kyra…"

"I don't recognize you anymore." The leader stared at her with hurt and betrayal written across her features. "You would go to the underworld if you had to, fight Hades himself to save someone you care about and yet, you are willing to abandon your mater, Phoibe, me, and even let Sam and Lara die and for what?"

"I…"

"Kassandra, I love you but I can't do this anymore. You have all my heart, but… It's not enough… I don't want to stay here and watch you walk in Icarus's footsteps." Kyra looked at Kassandra, waiting for a sign that the woman would try to convince her to stay but when her lover simply stared at the ground, she sighed. "I'll set sail to Mykonos tomorrow…"

"I'm sorry…"

"You told me once that I deserve peace, I hope you can find it too…"

* * *

Later that day, after Lara made sure Sam was peacefully asleep, she went on the roof to think. To her surprise, she found Phoibe there, sitting with a sad look on her face.

The archaeologist sighed before settling next to her. "What are you doing here on your own?"

The girl shrugged, playing with a loose strand of the carpet that she was sitting on. "Everybody is yelling and fighting."

"Grown-ups have disagreements sometimes…"

"I am not a baby," Phoibe stated, making eye contact with Lara. "I know that, but…"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be condescending." The Englishwoman squeezed the girl's hand. "It's just, things are complicated right now."

"And you are leaving." The girl added, her voice full of emotion.

"I… Yes," Lara answered gently. "But you know we are not from here, right?"

Phoibe snorted. "Yes, it's pretty obvious!"

"Yes, I suppose it is." The archaeologist chuckled. "We are from far away and our lives aren't here. We can't stay or it would kill us. If there were a way for us to come and visit you, we would happily do it but…" She trailed off.

"I understand, I just wish you could stay with us a bit longer. Kassandra is a good person, she's your friend."

"She is our friends too but friends don't always see eye to eye."

As the girl nodded with a glum smile, Lara pulled her closer, trying to give her some comfort. Phoibe cuddled against her, silently enjoying the moment.

"Sam is resting, why don't we go swimming?" The Englishwoman offered, remembering the conversation they had before the attack.

"Really?" Phoibe stood up hastily, a grin on her face. "Yes!" She grabbed Lara's hand and quickly led her downstairs. Once they were in the garden, she let go of her friend's hand and shouted. "Race you to the beach!" She started running.

Lara laughed before running after her. "You're cheating!"

The girl giggled. "I am not, you're just slow, γιαγιά!"

"I'm going to show you if I'm old!" As soon as they were close enough to the shore, Lara ran faster and caught Phoibe, hoisting her up on her shoulder before jumping into the water.

Phoibe shrieked as the cold water engulfed her. She quickly emerged from the water and started giggling again. "You cheated!"

The Englishwoman laughed with her. "You started it." She let the girl hold on to her neck as they floated together peacefully.

"I'm going to miss you, and Sam," The girl said after a while.

"We're going to miss you too, darling." Lara squeezed the girl's arm. "We should go back inside, it's getting chilly." She watched Phoibe swim back to the shore with a sad smile, no matter what would happen in the future, she knew she was going to miss all the people she had met here.

* * *

At dinner time, Lara decided to bring a plate to Sam in their room. It was also an excuse to avoid awkward conversations at the dining table with Kassandra's family.

"How are you feeling, love?" Lara asked softly as she sat next to her wife on the bed and handed her her food.

"I would kill for some Ibuprofen right now but I don't feel like my head is going to explode anymore so it's something." Sam grabbed the bowl and sniffed it. "What is it?"

"Avgolemono soup, it's made of chicken, eggs, and lemon."

The producer hummed as she tasted the food. "Have you spoken to Kassandra?"

"No, not since the fight…"

"What about the others?"

"I've spent some time with Phoibe but that's it…" Lara shrugged.

"Lara, you can't keep hiding here with me." The filmmaker shook her head disapprovingly. "We are guests in this house, you need to mingle because I can't really do it at the moment."

The Englishwoman frowned. "I'm not going to pretend everything is alright just because…"

"And here I thought you were the one with all the manners, miss posh." Sam interrupted her.

"Except for Phoibe, no one has been around all day," The archaeologist defended herself. "So you can't blame it all on me."

"Fine, but we still need answers so you should go and try to talk to Kassandra again."

Lara sighed wearily. "She's being stubborn."

Sam snorted. "Remind me of someone."

"Sam…"

"Listen, Lara," The producer turned serious. "I am in no state to argue with you right now but I'm still annoyed that you lied to me about what happened with Dr. Zuller."

"I didn't lie to you, I just omitted some parts to protect you!"

"Seriously? Because it looks like I'm lying in bed with a massive headache that came out of nowhere so I don't really think it worked." Sam hissed in pain as she touched her temple. She sighed and gulped the rest of her soup before giving the bowl back to Lara. "I need to rest, I can't deal with this right now but this conversation isn't over."

"I'm sorry… I'll let you rest." Lara left the room and closed the door behind her, leaning against it with a heavy sigh. The animus was starting to take a toll on them and she needed to find a solution soon. She made her way back to the kitchen to clean the dishes and stumbled into Myrrine.

"You weren't with us for dinner." Kassandra's mother stated as she finished her drink.

"I… hum, I wasn't hungry." Lara lied.

"I might have been away from my children for a long time, but I can still tell when they are lying to me." Myrrine moved to grab a piece of bread and some dried meat.

"No offense, I appreciate your hospitality but I am not your daughter." Lara bristled at the comment despite herself.

"You still need to eat, child." The matriarch motioned for Lara to sit down and put the food in front of her. "Come on, sit."

The archaeologist sat down with a defeated sigh. "Thank you." She silently nibbled on the piece of meat she had been offered.

"You're welcome." Myrrine patted Lara's head before walking toward the door. She stopped and turned around. "Perhaps, once you are done, you could talk to Kassandra, she is sitting at the terrace, sulking…"

"I don't think she wants to see me right now and I don't think we are in the right place to have a constructive conversation."

"I am aware of the situation but, as Kassandra's pater used to say, concern should drive us into action and not into a depression."

"Wait, I've heard that saying before…" The Englishwoman tried to remember the author but frowned when she couldn't find the answer. It was happening more and more over the past few days, she felt like she was forgetting things and she was scared that the animus was the reason behind it. "It's not from Nikolaos."

"No, her other father. In another moment of wiseness, he also said that friends are as companions on a journey and who ought to aid each other to persevere in the road to a happier life. So please, go talk to her, sweet child." Myrrine nodded in goodbye before leaving the room.

"Friends are companions, friends are…." Lara groaned in frustration, bloody brain. She finished her food before going to the terrace. It was dark now but she could see her friend slouched against the table, surrounded by what looked like empty wine amphoras. She sighed, it was definitely not the best time to have a serious conversation but she couldn't leave now. She walked toward the table and unsheathed her sword so she could sit more comfortably, she had a feeling she would be there for a while.

"Oh… You are here to fight me then." Kassandra sighed, gulping the rest of her glass.

"I hope it won't come to that." Lara threw her weapon on the table and sat in front of her friend.

"Really?"

"I just want to talk."

The mercenary snorted. "And here I thought we were friends." She poured herself another drink and handed one to Lara.

"We are." The archaeologist accepted the drink. "That's why I am begging you to tell me where the staff is."

"Lara," Kassandra said warningly. "I cannot give you the answer you seek."

"She is my world."

The misthios drank her glass in one go. "So, you are ready to sacrifice everything for love?"

"I…"

"Even if it leads to chaos?"

"A simple staff can't do that!"

Kassandra shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not, but would they have sent you here for a simple weapon?"

"I've never asked to be a part of this!" Lara exclaimed, frustrated.

"But you are, willing participant or not. If you could put away your anger for me, you would see not everything is black and white." The mercenary grabbed an amphora and took another sip, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand before standing up. "I have an offer for you." She slurred her words. "Let's fight, for every punch you manage to get, I will reveal something."

The Englishwoman frowned. "No, you are drunk and not thinking clearly."

"Exactly, it gives you a fighting chance." The mercenary puffed her chest out.

"I won't do that, you are in no state." Lara took a step backward, trying to de-escalate the situation.

"I thought it was what you wanted."

"I want answers!" Lara cried.

"Then come and get them!" Kassandra pushed her.

"Stop it!" The archaeologist tried to move away but the mercenary pushed her again.

"Do I have to seduce Sam to make you angry?" The misthios grabbed Lara's arm a bit forcefully.

"You're an arse, and I said stop, you are hurting me!" Lara pulled her arm away. She didn't want to fight her friend, it was clear that the woman was hurting and was on a destructive path that she used to know so well.

"Then fight back!" Kassandra roared.

Lara raised her hand and back slapped her. "Enough!"

Kassandra stumbled backward and chuckled darkly. "Why? I seem to be the villain of everybody's story lately, might as well embrace it…" She moved away from Lara and stepped closer to the table.

"What are you talking about?" The Englishwoman wasn't expecting the woman's answer. The mercenary shrugged and tried to reach for her drink but Lara knocked it out of her hand. "You… You don't need a fight, you clearly need someone to talk to."

"I am losing everyone." Kassandra let out a painful sigh. "My mater is disappointed in me because I haven't tried to help Alexios enough, Phoibe feels abandoned and I can't make her feel better, Kyra wants something I am not sure I can give her anymore and then Sam and you…" She laughed dejectedly. "A few days ago, I foolishly thought I could find the light, something better than the pain and misery I have felt all my life but the Gods seem to think otherwise." She shook her head. "Look at me, the mighty misthios complaining about everything." She snorted. "They should call me the pathetic misthios, the one who fell from grace…"

Lara's heart broke for her friend. Everyone was expecting something from her and she couldn't find the time to slow down, trying so hard to stay strong. "Don't be so hard on yourself."

The misthios tried once again to reach for a drink but Lara grabbed her hand to prevent her. Kassandra slapped it away as they started battling for the amphora. When Kassandra shoved her to the side, Lara realized that they were close to the edge of the terrace. Aware that it was a losing battle, she made a quick decision and kicked behind the mercenary's knee to get her to the ground. She rapidly recognized her mistake when Kassandra lost her balance faster than expected and crashed into her. She felt herself fall backward and hit the wooden pergola on the floor below.

As soon as Kassandra heard the cracking noise of the wood, she pulled Lara closer, moving around so she could cushion her friend's fall as the pergola collapsed.

"Shit!" Lara groaned when they hit the ground.

"Why did you do that?" The mercenary looked at her incredulously.

The archaeologist grabbed her friend by the cape and pulled her closer. "Asshole!" She let go of her grip, slapping the woman's arm before standing up painfully. "I was trying to stop you, I didn't expect you to crash into me."

Kassandra stared at her before bursting out laughing. "It was impressive, I didn't see it coming."

"You're drunk!" Despite the situation, Lara offered her hand to help her friend stand.

"Still." The misthios chuckled as she accepted Lara's hand.

At the commotion, everyone inside the house rushed outside, weapons in hands and ready to fight until they saw the two women. "By Zeus, what is going on here?" Myrrine demanded.

"Nothing, mater."

Kyra moved closer to the table and saw all the mess. "Liar," She shook her head as she held an empty amphora and threw it next to Kassandra's foot.

A sleepy Sam joined them, a confused look on her face. "Lara? Are you okay? What happened?"

"I, we…" The Englishwoman was trying to find an excuse but she couldn't come up with anything.

"Were you two fighting?" Myrrine asked, looking at them disapprovingly.

"No," Kassandra answered, glancing everywhere but at her mother.

"You were," Phoibe suddenly stated. When everyone turned their attention toward her, she developed. "I couldn't sleep so I went looking for Kassandra but she wasn't in her room. I looked outside and I could hear them shouting." She stared at her friends. "I am tired of people fighting." Her voice broke.

"Phoibe…" The mercenary felt properly chastised.

"No, you said we are a family. Sam and Lara are family too now, we should help them." The girl looked at Lara. "I know where her father is, he's in the island of Thera."

"Phoibe, no!" Kassandra gave her a stern look. "How do you even know?"

"I'm sorry Kassandra. I heard you fight with Kyra, I didn't mean to but I was on the roof and…"

"Friends are companions!" Lara declared out of the blue. It finally clicked.

"What?" The misthios frowned in confusion.

"Pythagoras! Your, your biological father is Pythagoras!?" The archaeologist half stated half asked. "But how? He's dead!"

Sam looked wide-eyed at her friend then at Myrrine, "Is it true?"

"It is but, things are more complicated than that…" Myrrine sighed. "Please come inside, we shouldn't discuss this out here." She glared at her daughter and her friend once again. "You two better fix this in the morning!"

"Yes, mater." Kassandra watched as everyone went back inside before focusing on Lara. "Well, now you know…" They stared at each other for a moment until the mercenary sighed. "I apologize for my behavior, I shouldn't have let my emotions…"

Lara quickly cut her off. "I told you once, you are only human. You are allowed to be sad and angry. I shouldn't have questioned you in your state and just ask how you felt instead."

"I am… tired." The misthios turned around and started gathering the pieces of wood on the ground. "You can go back inside, I will join you in a moment."

The archaeologist studied her for a moment, pondering what to do. When she heard a sniffle, she moved closer and gently put her hand on her friend's arm. "You are not a disappointment Kassandra, you are an amazing woman who has a lot on her plate and little room to breathe."

Kassandra shook her head. "I don't deserve your kindness, not after what I did."

Lara stepped in front of her and wordlessly hugged her. "Friends are companions."

"You keep saying that." Kassandra sniffled. "What is the meaning of it?"

"' _Friends are as companions on a journey and who ought to aid each other to persevere in the road to a happier life'._ Sam and I, we are your friends, and we are going to help you, as much as we can, as long as can. I will find the staff in the future and I will bring it back to whoever it belongs, no matter how long it takes. I won't let them win, I promise… You are not alone."

"Thank you." Kassandra broke the embrace and looked at the mess on the ground. "Do you know anything about woodworking?"

Lara chuckled. "I'm afraid not…"

* * *

Once they were all gathered inside, Kassandra gave them more details about her father, the island and more specifically the staff.

"So, what do we do now?" Sam inquired. "Should we try to trigger the safety switch to go back to the present? Because it doesn't look like they are aware of our discovery."

Lara shook her head. "Not yet, I would like to see the staff first, if that's alright with you?" She looked at her friend.

Kassandra glanced at her mother for advice. "Mater?"

"It is your decision, lamb."

"I don't think Pythagoras will be happy about it, but I can lead you to his cave." The mercenary stated. "We'll leave tomorrow."


	9. Chapter 9

Lara woke up early the next day. She had barely slept, too anxious about what their meeting with Pythagoras would bring. Since the sun hadn't completely risen yet, she decided to lay on her side and enjoy the sight of her wife sleeping. Sam had felt better after resting but Lara was still worried the pain would come back inexplicably.

"I can hear you thinking from here…" Sam sleepily mumbled as she stirred awake.

"Sorry, love. Go back to sleep." Lara smiled lazily at her wife's cute sleepy face.

"S'okay." With her eyes still closed, Sam patted the bed to touch her wife. She frowned when she realized Lara was laying far away from her. She cracked an eye open. "Why are you so far?"

The archaeologist smiled sheepishly. "I didn't know if you were still cross with me so I didn't want to assume you would want to cuddle…"

The producer sighed. She finally opened both her eyes and propped herself up onto her elbows. "I'm starting to doubt Dr. Zuller is responsible for my state. It could just be the animus… I can understand why you didn't want to worry me more than I already am, but you should have said something. It's my life and I am entitled to know if someone or something threatens it."

"I'm sorry. I know it doesn't change anything but I genuinely thought Dr. Zuller didn't release the content of the syringe into your arm."

"But what if he had, I…"

"Then we wouldn't be here right now." Lara interrupted firmly. "I would have triggered the safety switch and…"

"Flip your shit on them?" Sam finished for her. She knew her wife well and she was aware that if anything were to happen to her because of some evil organization, Lara would set everything on fire - not caring about her own safety - to avenge her.

"Well, I mean, maybe, yes."

"Oh, definitely yes." The filmmaker chuckled as she pulled her wife on top of her. "Kiss me."

Lara huffed a laugh before smiling, relieved that their fight seemed to be over. "Yes, dear." She leaned closer to Sam's mouth, brushing her lips against hers. "I love you."

"I love you too." Sam closed the gap between them and kissed Lara's lips fully as she ran her fingers through her hair. After breaking the kiss, she felt Lara move to settle more comfortably, resting her head against her chest. She heard her wife sigh contently. "Comfy?"

Lara laughed. "Yes."

The producer lightly scratched her wife's back for a moment before moving her hands to Lara's ass. "Mmmhhh, better." She squeezed it.

The archaeologist chuckled lowly. "Well, that escalated quickly…" She lifted her head and captured Sam's lips again, moaning as she slipped her tongue into her mouth.

Sam pulled Lara closer and slowly started rocking her hips. She tugged at her wife's sleeping tunic, trying to touch her skin. "Off…"

Before Lara could move, Phoibe barged into the room. Both women yelped and pulled away. "Phoibe!"

Sam hastily tried to compose herself. "Phoibe, you should knock!"

"Sorry!" The girl looked at them sheepishly. She took a step back and knocked on the door loudly. "Kyra is leaving, come and say goodbye!" She stated before scrambling away.

Lara puffed some air out between her lips and groaned. "Why do people have children again?"

Sam chuckled, kissing Lara one more time before standing up. "You love kids."

"Yes but…"

"But not when they are interrupting our makeup sex?" The filmmaker said amused.

"No!" The Englishwoman covered her face with the blanket. "Yes…" She huffed in frustration.

Sam laughed. "Well, at least she's not ours, fewer responsibilities. But it's good practice for when…" She cut herself short, as if not daring to hope they could have a child someday. She cleared her throat. "Raincheck, I promise."

Lara removed the cover from her face. "Tease!"

"Come on, get dressed horny Croft, we have things to do!"

Lara groaned once again but stood up nonetheless.

* * *

Kyra was standing on the dock, ready to embark the ship that Myrrine had so kindly lent to her. She had already said goodbye to the matriarch and she was now hugging Sam. "It was an honor to meet you."

"I'm going to miss you," Sam stated sadly as she pulled away from the hug. "Are you sure you don't want to stay a bit longer?"

Kyra nodded. "Yes, it's what's best for now. Besides, I have things to attend to."

The producer glanced at Kassandra who was gloomily standing close to the ship. "Please, don't close the door completely, Kassandra is..."

"I gave her several chances." The Mykonos leader cut her off.

"I'm aware of that and you have every right to protect yourself, but things are complicated right now and Lara and I are not making things easier. You love each other, it should count for something." Sam paused. "She is lost and thinks that she doesn't deserve happiness. Lara used to be like that but then, she made peace with herself and look at us now. She could surprise you."

Kyra smiled sadly. "It is out of my hands now."

Lara stepped closer and hugged Kyra. "I hope things will look up for you."

"Thank you." The leader then turned to Phoibe who was looking at her with tears in her eyes. She opened her arms. "Give me a hug."

"I don't want you to go…" Phoibe sniffled as she held her tight.

"This is not farewell, little one. You can come to visit anytime but don't sneak behind Kassandra's back, okay? Ask her first." Kyra kissed the girl's forehead before walking toward the ship where Kassandra was waiting for her.

"Kyra, I…"

"I want to be mad at you." Kyra cut her off. "But somehow, I understand. I just wish the Gods could be kinder to us."

Kassandra stared at the ground, dejectedly. "I'm sorry."

"I can't wait for you forever."

The mercenary looked up with sadness and understanding in her eyes. "I know."

"But I do love you." Kyra reached out and squeezed Kassandra's wrist, trying to convey her feelings.

"I…"

"You don't have to say anything." Kyra leaned closer and kissed her lover's cheek. "Goodbye, misthios," She murmured into her ear before embarking the ship.

* * *

As Lara and Sam made their way back to the house, Kassandra and Phoibe stayed on the dock, watching the ship disappear into the distance.

"Are you mad at me?" Phoibe asked suddenly. "For telling everyone about the staff."

Kassandra sighed wearily. "I was at first… but then I realized, what is the point of saving the world if you can't save the ones you love?"

The little girl bit her bottom lip worriedly, as if she wasn't sure she should say something. "Is Kyra gone forever?"

"I don't know…"

Phoibe leaned against the mercenary's arm. "You will meet again. Like Odysseus and Penelope, you are destined to reunite eventually, even if it takes years."

Kassandra put her arm around the girl's shoulder and pulled her closer. "A lot can change in the meantime," She answered carefully, aware that things were complicated but not wanting to crush the girl's hope of a happy family.

"Trust me, I have a good feeling about this."

The mercenary chuckled. "Who am I to disagree, oh wise oracle Phoibe?" She tickled her.

"Stop it!" Phoibe giggled. "I'd rather be a misthios like you."

"It is a very lonely and weary life… It might be too late for me, but you are young, you can be everything you want."

"It's never too late."

Kassandra ignored the comment. "Come on, let's go back inside, we have things to do."

* * *

Sam and Lara were ready to sail toward Thera to meet Pythagoras. They knew that it was their last chance to gather information on the Caduceus before going back to the present and fight the Templars. As they made their way to the kitchen, they could hear Kassandra and Phoibe fight.

"Why can't I go with you? It's not fair!" Phoibe yelled.

"Phoibe, please." Kassandra almost begged. She was so tired of being the bearer of bad news. She knew the girl needed a break but she would have to say goodbye to her new friends first.

"No!" The girl stomped her foot. "You said it should be a safe trip so I don't see why I can't come."

"Strangers are not welcome there," The mercenary reminded her gently. "It won't be easy to get in with Sam and Lara so I can't bring you…"

"Then I can wait for you on the ship." Phoibe cut her off. "And after we can all come back and…"

"They are not coming back." Kassandra said softly.

The girl frowned. "What do you mean?"

"After this, they… they have to go back to their time."

"But… But can't they stay a little longer?" Phoibe asked with misty eyes.

Sam's heart broke for the poor girl so she decided to jump into the conversation. "Phoibe, we…"

"No…" The girl shook her head and sniffled. "I already said goodbye to Kyra today, I can't…"

"Come here." Sam opened her arms and beckoned Phoibe to come closer. The girl rushed into her embrace. "I'm sorry, sweetie." She looked at her wife and motioned for her to join in.

Lara hesitated for a second before moving behind Phoibe and hugging her and her wife. After a moment, she spoke in a whisper. "Darling, do you remember our conversation on the roof?" She felt Phoibe nod. "We are not from your time. The thing that brought us here is dangerous and …"

"You could die, I know…" The girl mumbled into Sam's belly. "I… I'm just tired of seeing everybody leave."

Lara was at a loss for words. She knew very well what it felt like to lose all the people you loved, especially when you were too young to understand that, it didn't have anything to do with you. She was also sad to leave because she had come to care for these people and it hurt to think that they would never see them again.

Thankfully, Sam answered for her. The filmmaker pulled away and knelt down. She gently cupped the girl's cheeks. "You did nothing wrong, sweetheart. Sometimes, people go, not because they want to, but because they have to. We come from so far away, we should have never met, and yet, against all odds, we did. We should be grateful for that, I know I am." She thumbed away a tear on Phoibe's cheek and paused as she felt her own tears rise in her throat. "We'll never be completely gone, you want to know why?" She smiled gently when Phoibe nodded. "Because we'll always be here." She touched the girl's forehead lightly. "And here." She moved her hand on top of Phoibe's heart. The girl put her hand on top of Sam's and smiled sadly. Sam brought their two hands over her own heart and said with a wobbling voice. "You'll be in mine."

"And in mine." Lara wrapped her arms around Phoibe's shoulders and squeezed gently to convey her feelings.

"I will look at the stars and think of you," Phoibe said as she whipped her tears away.

Sam smiled at her as an idea popped into her head. She knew she couldn't bring anything back with her, after all they were in some kind of simulation, but she could leave something behind. She removed the bracelet that Kassandra had offered her and put it around the girl's wrist. "Here, something to remember me by."

"Thank you, _adelfí_." Phoibe lowered her head and closed her eyes when she felt Sam kiss her forehead.

Inspired by the gesture, Lara rummaged through her purse and pulled out the t-shirt she was wearing when they first arrived here. "It should fit you in a couple of years."

Phoibe recognized the shirt Sam was holding when Lara had disappeared and smiled. She hugged the woman once again. " _Efaristo_."

Lara pulled away from the hug. "I know it's hard for you to look at the bright side right now, but you are not alone. You have Kassandra, you have your… grandma?" She looked at Sam.

Sam shrugged. "Sort of?"

"Well, you have Myrrine, and Kyra isn't gone, she said you could visit."

"I know," Phoibe said.

"Good." Lara kissed the girl's cheek. "It's gonna be okay."

Sam hugged Phoibe one last time before saying goodbye to Myrrine and the people in the house. Once they were done, Lara and Sam walked toward the Adestria with a heavy heart.

* * *

As soon as they were on board of the ship, Sam sat quietly at the bow, staring ahead while Lara and Kassandra stayed at the helm, watching her from afar.

"Is she alright?" The mercenary asked.

"As much as she wants to go back to the present, some things are hard to leave behind."

Kassandra nodded in understanding. "Goodbyes are never easy." She let the silence settle for a moment before speaking again. "We don't have to discuss Pythagoras right now if you want to join her…"

"Not yet, I think she needs a moment alone."

"She was very good with Phoibe," The Misthios stated.

"She was." Lara tore her eyes away from her wife to answer her friend. "Well, she is good with people in general but there is a softness when she talks to kids, like she wants them to feel seen and listened to, the things she didn't have when she was young…"

Kassandra smiled. "You did well with Phoibe too. Thank you for stepping in, I didn't want to break her heart once again."

"Take care of her, she's precious."

"I will." The Spartan woman swore.


	10. Chapter 10

Sam and Lara were huddled together on the bench at the helm of the ship when they approached the island of Thera.

"I can't believe this is what we call Santorini now, it has changed so much!" Sam declared. "You would never think it would become one of the most famous picture-postcard views centuries later."

Lara hummed in agreement. "The volcanic activity shaped the island throughout time. The official name is still Thera, in honor of the Spartan King Thiras, that settled on the island but most people call it Santorini. It's a name the Franks chose because there was a local church called Santa Irene. Supposedly, the legend of Atlantis is also based on what happened here and the consequences later in Crete for the Minoan civilization." She noticed the intense look on her wife's face. "What?"

"Don't try to seduce me with your history knowledge, Croft, you know I can't resist." Sam wiggled her eyebrows.

Lara laughed. "I would say sorry but…"

The producer bumped her wife's shoulder playfully. "Who's teasing now?"

"Dock the ship!" They heard Kassandra bark.

"I guess that's our cue to get ready," Lara stated before standing up and offering her hand for Sam to take. "Stay alert, something is telling me we won't be welcomed with open arms."

Sam accepted the hand and stood up. "Yeah, I don't hold much hope either."

* * *

As Lara stepped on the dock, she looked at the ancient city in awe. "It's amazing, the ruins in our century pale in comparison." She took a few steps forward before turning around to ask Kassandra. "Do you mind if I take a look?"

"Please, do," Kassandra answered with a smile. "I will wait for you at the entrance of the cave."

"Thank you." Lara made her way to the first house and started studying paintings on the wall. "I wish we had time to explore, we could learn so much."

"I know, sweetie," Sam said as she joined her. "And I wish I could record it all but, it's not like you could publish anything about it. We recovered from the Yamatai scandal but I'm not sure it would work this time if we try to explain the Templars sent us back in time."

"You are right..." The archaeologist sighed, her hand hovering over the wall. "It's just frustrating to live the dream of every archaeologist and not being able to make the best out of it. It could help some of my peers…"

"If it can make you feel better, we are in some sort of simulation." Sam understood her wife's frustration, she had seen so many things that would have looked good on film but had no way to record them. "We are seeing the world the way Kassandra experienced it, who can really say how accurate it is? We are all biased when it comes to our own history."

"I suppose, yes."

"Sorry friends, but I need help with the door. I can't open it without direct light on the prism above it." Kassandra reached out for her spear and handed it to Sam. "Stay at the door, Lara and I will take care of it. We just need to move the mirrors." She pointed at the mirror on the side of the room, then at all the others scattered around the site.

Sam stared at the spear with hesitation. "Shouldn't you be the one holding it?"

"I trust you." The mercenary said encouragingly, gently taking Sam's hand and putting her spear in it. "We need to know if you are allowed inside and besides, it will go faster if Lara and I activate the mechanism."

"No offense taken." Sam joked.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you." The misthios apologized, scratching her neck in embarrassment. "You are a strong woman and…"

The filmmaker laughed, taking pity on her friend. "Oh, I'm going to miss you, you gorgeous goddess." She hugged Kassandra tightly. "And you're right, I don't feel like jumping from a wall to another like a monkey so, knock yourself out."

"You are not gone yet." Kassandra patted her friend's back before pulling away. "Wait for my command." She rushed toward the biggest building and jumped on the wall, swiftly climbing it to the top.

Lara smiled at her wife. "Be careful."

Sam smiled back. "You too." She made her way to the door, avoiding the big puddle of water in front of the stairs before climbing them. She watched as a beam of light slowly shone in her direction every time Kassandra or Lara moved a mirror. Once the light reflected on the prism, Sam waited for the go-ahead from her friend then lifted the spear in front of the door. When it opened, she smiled proudly. She took a few steps down the stairs and shouted. "It worked!" The excitement was short-lived because out of nowhere, a high pitched noise rang in her head. She fell to her knees with a cry, one hand holding her forehead and the other glued to the spear on the ground.

"Sam!" Lara screamed from her spot. She rushed to help her wife but Kassandra was closer and reached her first.

The mercenary lifted Sam from the ground and helped her sit against the rock wall. "Sam, are you alright? What's happened?"

Lara joined them and looked at her wife worryingly. She kneeled down next to Sam and gently pushed away the hair from her face. "Is it your head again?"

Sam, incapable of forming words, simply nodded. When her wife tried to take away the spear, her hand tightened around it. "No… Wait…" She could feel something, like a voice trying to reach out to her.

"What's going on?" Kassandra asked, a worried frown on her face as she hovered behind them.

The producer took a deep breath, ready to answer but then, she heard it. _'Hello? Can anybody hear me?'_ Sam frowned and stared at Lara. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Lara looked at her, confused.

"Someone is talking," Sam replied as if it was obvious. Surely she couldn't be the only one hearing it.

"It was us," Kassandra stated.

The filmmaker shook her head. "No, someone else."

"What are you talking about?" Lara glanced at Kassandra, silently asking what was going on but her friend shrugged at her.

"Wait." Sam lifted the spear and touched the blade with her free hand. "Hello?"

 _'Yes?'_ The voice answered. _'Can you hear me? Thank god, I've been trying to contact you for a while now.'_

Sam frowned. "Who are you?"

"Who are you talking to?" The archaeologist questioned again, getting more worried by the minute.

"Shh." Sam shushed, trying to focus.

 _'Layla Hassan…. Who are you?'_

"Sam, Samantha Croft." She replied. She might not know why she was hearing a voice but at least now she knew who it belonged to.

 _'Croft as in Lara Croft?'_

"She's my wife. Wha… How are you even talking to me right now? Where are you?" Sam ignored the look Lara and Kassandra were giving her. At least they were staying quiet. "Are you with the Templars? Because if that's the case you can go fuck yourself, I don't know where the Caduceus is."

 _'I'm not with them, quite the opposite but I don't have time to go into details right now.' Layla declared. 'We ran into some interference in our simulation and then we realized someone else was looking into Kassandra's memories.'_

"They forced us into a room and then they hooked us up to a machine. Kassandra's descendant was with us. She was their main target but then they sent us with her, as ourselves, to help her find an artifact." Sam explained.

 _'What the hell are they doing?' Layla groaned. 'Where are you at the moment? I mean, where are your bodies presently?'_

"London, the Asphargo facility. We can't escape, we need…"

 _'Sam… can't hear… I…'_

"Hello?"

 _'Sam…'_

"Help us…Layla, are you still there?" Sam tried again but after a while, it was clear that the connection was broken. "Nothing, shit!" She sighed.

Lara took the spear out of her wife's hand and gave it to her friend. "Okay, what just happened?"

"Witchcraft? The ISU?" Kassandra asked, taking her spear back.

"No…" Sam chuckled despite herself. "I'm either developing some schizophrenic tendencies, or someone realized we were here and hacked Dr. Zuller's device to warn us."

The Englishwoman stared at her wife. "How? Why?"

"How the hell would I know?" Sam replied in annoyance. It wasn't directed at her wife but at the situation they were in. She tried to stand.

Lara reached out and helped her. "Do you think it's a trap?"

Sam dusted her knees and clothes. "I don't know but I'm tired of people invading my head without my consent. I mean, is there a sign somewhere that says 'come in, it's open, make yourself at home'?"

"At least this one seems friendly…" Lara tried to joke.

"Seriously, Lara?" Sam glared at her.

"Sorry…" The archaeologist smiled sheepishly. "Too soon?"

Sam huffed a laugh. "No, you're right, it's just…"

Kassandra could tell her friends needed a moment alone. "I'm going to warn Pythagoras of your arrival, join me when you are ready." She smiled at them before entering the cave.

Lara took her wife's hands in hers. "What's wrong? Tell me."

"Do you… Do you think Himiko left a door open somewhere in my subconscious and that's why I'm the one who heard the voice?" The filmmaker bit her lower lip worryingly. "Or am I just slowly going insane?"

"You are not insane," Lara stated firmly. "You were holding an alien device in front of an alien cave in a simulation of someone else's memory. I think that explains a lot."

"But…"

"Perhaps Himiko activated some parts of your brain that are dormant to most of us," The Englishwoman interrupted gently. "We could run some tests once we are back but, maybe you should see it as a gift."

The producer snorted. "I don't see how…"

"You were able to ask for help."

"I don't know, Lara, it's freaking me out."

"I'm sorry," Lara pulled her wife into a hug. "I promise you, there is nothing wrong with you. Right now, we're about to meet a dead philosopher about an ISU device so if you're crazy, I am not far behind and frankly, I'm fine with that. Send me to the loony bin with you."

Sam laughed. "I love you." She broke the embrace. "You know, it's the same pain I felt yesterday so it's probably not the first time Layla tries to contact us."

Lara cupped her wife's cheek. "Everything will be over soon, just hang on a little longer." She kissed her lovingly.

Sam rested her forehead against Lara's. "We don't even know how to escape Dr. Zuller…"

"We'll find a way, we always do," Lara reassured. "Ready to meet your worst math nightmare?"

"I'm more of a literary person, sue me!" Sam laughed. "Come on, let's go meet the man!"

* * *

Once inside the cave, Sam and Lara looked around in awe. There was a long path surrounded by rock pillars with a soft yellow glow coming out of them, just like in the old forge they had visited with Kassandra. There were also two griffon statues standing proudly on each side of the path. The most surprising elements were the pyramid hovering in the air and the large bay window with a view of the sea.

Their study of the place was interrupted by some shouting coming from the back of the cave. Sam and Lara turned their attention toward the commotion and realized Kassandra was fighting with Pythagoras.

"Should we join them?" Sam asked. She was trying to keep an open mind regarding the man, after all he was a big shot in their time, but she couldn't forget how he abandoned Kassandra without blinking an eye. She knew a thing or two about bad parents and she just wanted to protect her friend.

Lara nodded. "They are probably fighting about us so…"

"I know…" Sam sighed. "Let's get this over with."

"Kassandra, is everything alright?" The archaeologist questioned once they were standing next to the mercenary. She looked at Pythagoras. "Hello, sir, my name is…" She stopped and stared at the staff in the man's hand. Here it was, finally, the staff of Hermes Trismegistus. They had searched all around Greece for it and it was in Pythagoras's possession all along.

"I told you we couldn't allow people to find this place and you are bringing these strangers with you!" Pythagoras shouted at Kassandra before looking at Sam and Lara. "You shouldn't be here!" He declared, not letting his daughter a chance to answer.

"Well, hello to you too, sir," Sam said with sarcasm.

Lara tore her eyes away from the staff and cleared her throat. "I'm sorry. I understand that we are not welcomed here, but it's important." She tried to be as earnest as possible but she could already tell that it was going to be hard to convince him to help.

"They are not a threat, they are my friends." Kassandra declared, trying to calm the situation.

"It does not matter. I knew you weren't ready." Pythagoras shook his head disapprovingly. "You are willingly putting this sacred place of knowledge in danger for…"

"I only told them about the staff." Kassandra defended herself.

"Yeah, what is this place for anyway?" The filmmaker asked. She could see her wife was trying really hard not to bombard the man with questions about the staff in his hand but right now, she was more intrigued by the cave.

"It does not concern you." Pythagoras glared at her.

"They came here to warn us about a danger. In the future, a man will try to steal the staff to bring chaos into the world." The misthios explained.

Pythagoras gave her a dubious look. "The oracles didn't mention them, you must be wrong."

"She is not wrong, we are here to help." Lara jumped in. "We need more information on your staff so we can stop the people who want to use it in the future. I know…"

"You don't know anything, child," Pythagoras cut her off.

The archaeologist frowned in displeasure. "We are not your enemies, why are you treating us as if we were?"

"Because it is not your place." The man barked.

"Oh my God, we are not going anywhere." Sam groaned in frustration. "Sorry, I know you're a big thing in our world but honestly dude, you're full of shit!"

"Sam!" Lara chastised.

"What?!" Sam said annoyed. "We never asked for this but we're still here, trying to help and what is he doing? Nothing, just preaching nonsense."

"The staff will be safe as long as Kassandra embraces the legacy that she was brought into this world for." Pythagoras declared.

"I am not ready yet," Kassandra stated. "You don't know what the future will bring but my friends do, they can help."

"When will you understand, child, that your destiny is more important than your emotional connections." Pythagoras lamented.

Kassandra glared at him. "I am not you." Her voice was cold.

"You are too soft." The man sighed wearily. "You are right, you are not ready and probably never will be. Perhaps I should keep the staff forever."

"Staying here has obscured your judgment, Pythagoras, please see reason and tell them what you know." The mercenary insisted. They entered into a staring match but when it was clear Pythagoras wouldn't cave, she spoke again. "This is the gate to Atlantis. I am supposed to find artifacts to seal it."

Pythagoras looked at his daughter in betrayal. "Kassandra!"

"Wait, Atlantis, but…" Lara was shocked at the discovery. "It's not possible…"

Sam frowned. "What does the staff have to do with it?"

Kassandra raised an eyebrow and looked pointedly at her father, offering him a chance to speak. "They are on our side…"

Pythagoras sighed. "The staff is not only a powerful weapon but the key to Atlantis. It cannot fall into the wrong hands."

"Then help us," Lara encouraged. "Tell us more about it."

"The staff was given to me by Hermes himself after the ISU civilization started to crumble…" Pythagoras started.

Suddenly, the cave started to shake, the walls and the floor turned black and pixelated.

"What's going on?" Lara asked.

"Sam, Lara!" Kassandra called, reaching out for them.

"Kassandra…" Sam and Lara called back just before the simulation disappeared.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

 **A/N : Sorry for the long delay, I had to watch some videos from Origin to understand what was Layla's motivations and others from Odyssey to include some of Layla's dialogue. Anyway, here's the last chapter, let me know what you think, it makes my day! Thank you for following me on this journey, I will miss these amazing women greatly.**

* * *

Sam and Lara woke up with a start. Lara blinked a few times as she tried to find her bearing. She was tied up to a chair and people were fighting. They were back in the present.

"Lara?" Sam called.

"I'm here." Lara turned her head to her left to check on her wife and replied. "Are you alright?"

"Yes but…" Sam stared at the fight in front of them. "What's happened?"

"What's going on?" Katherine asked. "Are we back?"

"I don't know what's going on… But it's our chance to leave." The archaeologist tugged and pulled at the ties around her wrists while keeping an eye on the Asian man fighting Dr. Zuller's goons. It was pointless, the ties were too tight. The room finally went silent as the last guard fell to the ground. It was then that the man approached her. "Who are you?"

"It's okay, we are on your side." The man removed her ties before helping Sam and Katherine.

"Who are 'we'? How many of you are there?" Lara stood up quickly and reached for the gun on the floor, aiming at him. "And why should I believe you?"

"Because they are dead and you are not." The man stated.

"We are here to help, please lower your gun." A woman declared as she stepped inside the room.

"Wait," Sam moved closer to Lara. "I know that voice, Layla?"

The woman smiled. "Samantha Croft, I presume. And this must be your wife?" She looked at Lara. "In other circumstances, I would say it's a pleasure to meet you, Lara Croft, but…"

"Who are you?" Lara questioned, not lowering her gun.

"I am Layla Hassan and this is Kiyoshi Takakura, and right now, we are your best chance to leave this facility alive."

"It's okay, I think we can trust them." Sam put her hand on her wife's arm, lowering it gently. She pointed at Katherine. "This is Katherine Makris, she is Kassandra's descendant."

"Fascinating…" Layla studied the woman. "I have so many questions..." They heard shouts coming from the hallway. "But I guess it would have to wait. Let's go!" She motioned for them to follow her.

Lara grabbed another handgun on a guard's body and gave it to her wife. "Be careful and shoot if you have to." She then looked at Katherine. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, but…This is a bit too much…" Katherine took a shaky breath. "I mean, I knew you could pull some stunts but guns and dead bodies it's…"

"I know and I'm sorry but I need you to pull yourself together until we leave this facility, can you do that?" Lara said as softly as she could.

"Yes, I think so…" Katherine answered.

"Good." Lara smiled reassuringly. "Stay close to us."

Katherine nodded. "Like glue."

"No need to go to that extreme, like a puppy is enough." Sam joked, trying to lighten the mood for the woman's sake.

"You wish, Samantha." Katherine snorted but deep down, she was grateful for the woman's light comment.

"Do you have a plan?" Lara asked as they all followed Layla down the corridor, slaloming between the dead guards on the floor.

"The power should go down again in…" Layla looked at her watch. "3, 2, 1…" She turned her flashlight on as the place went dark. "Now, we take the stairs." She gave Lara another angle head flashlight.

Lara took it and clasped it to her belt to free her hand. "Aren't we 23 floors underground level? How are we going to get out of here?"

"There is a secret elevator powered by an emergency generator that should bring us to the ground floor, but it's on level sub 15," Layla informed her.

Sam sighed, she couldn't wait to get out of here. "Great, I skipped my last leg day."

"You're in for a treat then," Layla answered, amused, as she rushed toward the stairs, taking them 2 at a time.

"How did you manage to get in?" Lara inquired. "This place is full of armed guards."

"The security team is reduced at night," Kiyoshi replied, bringing up the rear.

"And we used explosives," Layla added with a smile.

"Wait, it's night time? How long have we been here?" Katherine questioned.

"I don't know but we can worry about that later," Layla whispered. "Now shush, we don't want to get spotted."

* * *

They kept going up the stairs until they reached level -15, slowing down only to get rid of the guards getting in the way. Kiyoshi walked past the women and stopped at the door leading to the floor, resting his hand on the doorknob. "We have to act quickly. I don't know how many people guard the floor but we need to stop them before they can call for reinforcement. I'll go first and once it's clear, you can join me. The elevator is down the hall to the left."

"I'm coming with you," Lara stated, moving forward.

Kiyoshi frowned. "I don't think..."

"It will go faster if I help you." The archaeologist cut him off.

The man nodded, glancing at Layla before cracking the door open. After making sure no one was in sight, he motioned for Lara to follow him.

As the door closed behind them, Sam turned to Layla. "Where should we go once we're out of here?"

"You can come with us," Layla answered. "We have a safe place where we can talk about everything."

"Good, because I have so many quest…" Sam was interrupted by the sound of gunshots. "Shit!" She reached out for the door, ready to go help her wife but Layla stopped her.

"Wait, Kiyoshi knows what he's doing," Layla let go of Sam's hand. "And I'm sure Lara can handle herself, or she wouldn't have offered her help."

Sam frowned, ready to tell her off when she noticed Katherine was shaking. "Are you okay?"

"I'm… I'm scared…" Katherine confessed.

Sam pulled her in a side hug. "It's okay, we won't let anything happen to you." She smiled reassuringly.

"Thank you." Katherine felt her shoulders relax. "I know I haven't always been nice to you and yet you're… Thank you…"

Sam nodded. "You're welcome." She squeezed Katherine's arm before pulling away.

"Lara was right, you know," Katherine blurted out. "I can see it now."

"Right about what?" The producer raised a questioning eyebrow.

"About you, you are a wonderful woman, you both are," Katherine admitted.

Sam grinned at her. "I know." She winked.

Katherine chuckled despite herself. "Don't make me regret what I just said."

"Shh." Layla shushed them as she brought her hand to her ear, activating her comm. "Okay, on our way." She looked at the two women in front. "The floor is clear, let's go." They quickly joined Lara and Kiyoshi and went inside the elevator. "Now, that was the easy part. The exit is going to be well guarded."

"How do you expect us to move past them without getting killed?" Lara questioned, reloading her gun with a new magazine.

"With these." Kiyoshi simply stated, opening his bag to reveal some grenades.

The Englishwoman glanced inside it. "Not really discreet."

Sam snorted. "Say the woman who blows up at least one door during her expeditions."

Lara glared at her. "Really?"

"We need to get out of here fast, we don't really have time for subtlety," Layla answered her.

Lara nodded. "Have you seen Dr. Zuller? He's the man running this place."

"We know who he is but we haven't seen him anywhere since we arrived," Layla replied.

"That prick is probably hiding," Sam said with disdain.

"Be ready," Kiyoshi ordered just before the elevator dinged.

As soon as the door opened, they heard yelling followed by gunshots. The group hurriedly kneeled down and hid behind the big u shaped reception counter.

"There's at least a dozen of them!" Lara exclaimed.

"I'm going to use a flash grenade, close your eyes and cover your ears." Kiyoshi waited for another round of fire to finish before pulling the pin of the grenade and throwing it.

Lara pulled Sam close to her and saw Layla do the same with Katherine before closing her eyes. After hearing the detonation, she waited a few more seconds before reopening them. Despite the ringing in her ears, she tried to focus on what Kiyoshi was telling her.

"Run toward the door!" The man yelled.

The archaeologist nodded and stood up, pulling her wife with her. She looked at the guards to make sure they were incapacitated before helping Katherine and Layla to stand. "Come on, let's get out of here!"

Lara took Sam's hand and quickly led her toward the exit door. As they rushed to leave, they heard someone scream behind them. When they turned around, they saw Dr. Zuller standing behind Katherine, holding a gun to her head.

"Now, now," The doctor tutted them. "Where are your manners, Mrs. Croft?" He sneered.

"Sod off you wanker." Lara snarled.

Dr. Zuller shook his head disapprovingly. "Such a crude language for a lady like yourself."

"Fuck off, you psycho," Sam barked, refusing to let him play some stupid mind games. "Let Katherine go!"

"Ah the faithful spouse, always ready to jump in and help." The doctor chuckled darkly. "In case you haven't noticed, my dear, you don't really have the upper hand right now." He nodded in direction of some of the guards that were slowly standing up.

Lara scanned the room for anything she could use as a weapon, since it would be too risky to use her gun. She spotted a vase on the coffee table next to her that was surprisingly still intact despite the commotion. It was worth a shot, hopefully, it would surprise him enough to get closer. "Alright, there is no need for any of us to die tonight." She threw her gun and gave Sam a reassuringly small smile. "Tell me what you want." She locked eyes with Kiyoshi, glancing at the vase, then back at him before looking at the few guards that were now standing, hoping he would understand the message.

"Finally." The doctor smiled proudly. "You're being reasonable."

"You are not really giving us a choice here…" Lara stared at him, watching for the slightest moment of inattention to act while being aware that each passing minute was giving a chance to another guard to stand. She looked at Katherine and nodded slightly, trying to warn her that she was going to move soon.

"Just tell us where the staff is and then we'll let you all go." Dr. Zuller announced.

Sam scoffed. "As if you would talk that risk."

Lara saw the man's focus shift to Sam and here was her chance. God, she loved her wife. She swiftly reached out for the vase and threw it at his face.

Thankfully, Katherine realized what Lara was going to do just in time to kick the doctor in the chin. She jumped to the side when a shot rang out. She fell on the floor and yelped, holding her arm in pain.

Lara didn't waste a second and surged toward Dr. Zuller, tackling him to the ground while the others were taking care of the guards. She violently slammed his hand on the floor, forcing him to let go of his gun before punching him square on the face. The doctor struggled before raising his head and head-butting Lara. The woman recoiled at the blow, grunting in pain. He took hold of Lara and rolled over, raising himself above her. He wrapped his hands around her neck and started choking her. Lara dug her nails into the flesh of his hands to try and ease the tension. Suddenly, she noticed the syringe in his coat pocket, it looked like the one he had tried to use on Sam. She spat at his face to distract him and rushed to grab it. She plunged the syringe into his neck and depressed the plunger, sending whatever liquid was inside into his veins.

"What have you done?" Dr. Zuller yelled.

Lara pushed him away and rolled to her side, coughing. "What was inside the syringe?"

"Poison, you…" The man cried out in pain as his body shook and his heart raced.

The Englishwoman glanced behind her, only one guard was still standing, fighting Kiyoshi. "Sam?"

Sam rushed at her side and helped her stand. "Lara, are you okay?" She reached out and wiped the blood away from her wife's nose, worriedly starring at the bruise that was starting to form on her neck.

"Yes." Lara ignored her sore throat to focus on her wife. "Are you?" That was when she noticed Sam's busted lip. She felt her anger rise.

"It's okay." Sam saw Lara's eyes fill with rage so she cupped her cheek gently to calm her. "I'm alright." She reassured. "What did you do to him?"

Lara glared at the doctor. "I used the syringe he wanted to use on you if I refused to help."

Sam sighed. "I guess he wasn't bluffing…"

"Please, help me…" The doctor bugged, coughing.

"Go to hell." Lara kicked him.

"Lara, Sam?" Katherine called weakly. She was lying on the floor, her back resting against the reception desk as she held her bleeding arm.

"Katherine!" The archaeologist rushed to her, kneeling down to check on her arm. She looked at the gun wound and thankfully, the bullet had just grazed her skin. "I know it hurts but you should be alright."

Layla approached them. "We got rid of the last one, we should get going." She removed her scarf and handed it to Katherine. "Use it as a sling until we can get you medical attention." She glanced at the doctor, whose body was convulsing with blood and foam coming out of his mouth. She nodded to herself, as if content with the man's fate.

"Here, let me help." Sam offered, tying a knot at the end of the scarf. She put it around the woman's neck and gently put her arm inside the makeshift sling.

"Thank you." Katherine murmured.

Sam and Lara helped her stand and led her toward the exit. Once outside, a black SUV stopped in front of them with a screeching stop.

"That's our ride, get in." Layla declared.

* * *

Sam and Lara finally sighed in relief when they reached Layla's flat, if they could call it that. They were welcomed by a blonde woman who introduced herself as Dr. Victoria Bibeau. When Victoria noticed the blood on Katherine's arm, she offered to help, leading her to the other room to clean the wound.

"Okay, I think we need answers now. Who are you? Why are you fighting the Templars?" Lara questioned.

"You should sit." Kiyoshi pulled out a few chairs for them but let Layla answer.

"I will tell you everything you want to know but then you need to tell us what you've learned about the staff," Layla stated.

"Does everything have to be a quid pro quo these days?" Sam tiredly plopped into the chair. She gratefully smiled at Kiyoshi when he handed her an ice pack for her lip. "Thank you."

The man nodded. "Tondemonai." Sam raised an eyebrow at his use of a Japanese word but didn't comment.

"Fine." Lara sighed, sitting down. "We're listening."

"We are members of a group called the Assassins brotherhood, we are fighting the Templars – who are hiding behind Abstergo Industries - for millennia to avoid tyranny on earth. Since you were in the simulation, you might have met the cult of Kosmos, they are the ancient version of the Templars Order." Layla explained.

Lara accepted the cold pad Kiyoshi gave her for her nose and asked. "What do they want exactly?"

"Order," Layla answered simply.

Sam frowned. "How is that a bad thing?"

"It is when it prevents people from choosing their own fate." Layla pointed out.

"And that's what you're fighting for, freedom?" The archaeologist winced as she removed the ice pack from her nose to put it on her neck.

"We prefer the term free will." Layla corrected.

"But don't we need both?" Lara questioned. "Both can lead to extreme measures, we need a balance."

Sam nodded in agreement. "Yes, like the yin and yang."

"Let's…" Layla frowned, looking at them. "We don't have time for a philosophic debate on the matter. Anyway, we are looking for artifacts that the ISU left behind when their civilization disappeared."

"Kassandra said they were the people who came before…" Lara remembered.

"Yes," Layla confirmed. "They were an advanced civilization who we believe created humanity."

"It's a bold take… So why do you need their technology?" Lara inquired.

"Because in the wrong hands, it could bring chaos," Layla stated.

Sam threw the ice pack, now warm, on the table next to her. "Like the staff of Hermes Trismegistus?"

"Exactly, like the staff." Layla smiled. "Which brings us to you, what do you know about it? Since we had to rescue you, I wasn't able to move forward in the simulation. You could really save us some time."

Lara stood up, dropping her ice pack on the chair. "How do we know we can trust you with the information?"

Layla instantly noticed the suspicion coming back in Lara's eyes. "Well, you're free to go back to the Abstergo facility to share your discovery with the Templars but I'm not sure they're going to welcome you with open arms after what happened."

"Are we in danger?" Sam asked, standing up to move next to her wife.

"I erased every trace of your stay, at least in their servers. For the rest, it depends on how much the Order knows about Dr. Zuller's experiments." Layla shrugged. "But honestly, I think they have more pressing issues than going after public figures."

Sam chuckled. "Thank you for the ego boost but we are far from being superstars."

"It doesn't matter." Layla shook her head. "Your name is known enough that your disappearance wouldn't go unnoticed."

"Damn, I never thought I would be grateful for the tabloids and their trashy covers of us." Sam joked.

"I promised Kassandra I would protect the staff, so I want to be sure you're going to use it for the greater good and not just for your personal vendetta," Lara stated.

"Yeah, we've had more than our fair share of encounters with cults," Sam added. "It's not our first rodeo so I think we deserve a clear answer here."

"Listen, I'm an engineer, not a soldier. I used to work for Abstergo, I didn't know who they were back then but I wanted to prove myself, that's why I created my own portable animus." Layla pointed at the device at the side of the room. "But the Order didn't really appreciate my initiative and tried to kill me. A member of the Assassins found me, offered me a position and I agreed, not because of some belief but because I wanted protection and an opportunity to continue my research. I just want answers and as an archaeologist, I'm sure you can understand that."

"I do but I also know that a quest for knowledge can lead you to a dark path." Lara looked at Sam, wordlessly asking what she thought about the whole deal.

"Well, they helped us escape and as shady as their organization seems to be, you know, it looks like they are the lesser of two evils." Sam shrugged.

Layla scoffed. "Thank you for the vote of confidence."

The Englishwoman crossed her arms and studied her suspiciously. "You are clearly hiding things from us…"

"Lara, please, just…" Layla practically begged.

"What are you going to do with it?" Lara cut her off.

Layla sighed in defeat. It was clear that her new allies weren't willing to share information until she gave them something truthful. "I have a mission, 'Break the code, break the node'."

Lara frowned. "Beg your pardon?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Sam questioned.

"I…" Layla hesitated. "I need the staff to prevent doomsday."

Sam snorted. "Is that all?"

"I believe her," Katherine said, suddenly joining them in the room.

"Seriously?" Sam rolled her eyes. "No offense but you trusted Dr. Zuller to help you and look where it got us?"

"It's different this time," Katherine assured them. "While I was in the simulation as Kassandra, I was able to explore the gate to Atlantis. A voice mentioned something about the end of the world and some kind of chosen one who might be able to stop it."

"The Heir of memories, it's me," Layla confirmed.

Katherine looked at Layla. "I remember that name…"

"And we should believe a voice we know nothing about because…?" Sam arched an eyebrow.

Lara nodded. "Sam is right, we…"

"Lara, Sam, please," Katherine interrupted. "I feel like this is the right thing to do. I'm asking you to trust me, like you trusted Kassandra."

Lara pondered her options for a moment before sighing. "I will tell you what we know but on one condition." She took a step closer to Layla, locking eyes with her. "We're going with you."

Layla shook her head. "No, you can't, it's…"

"Take it or leave it, it's none negotiable," Lara said in a voice that brought no argument. "I'm planning on going anyway so if you don't like it, you can go back to your simulation."

"We could also follow you." Layla crossed her arms. "And what if it's not where you saw it for the last time?"

Lara shrugged. "It's a start and if I'm right, you'll be a step ahead of the Templars."

"Please, Layla." Katherine stepped closer to her and put a gentle hand on her arm. "Like you, I need answers. I want to know what happened to Kassandra."

Since Kiyoshi had left to keep watch, Layla turned to Victoria who had joined them when Katherine did. "I don't know…"

"Having an archaeologist who can handle guns can't hurt if the Templars find us," Victoria argued. "And if Katherine is really a direct descendant of Kassandra, she has a place in the brotherhood…"

Sam raised her hand. "And I can help with resources if anyone cares."

"Katherine, I don't think you should come," Lara said carefully. "You're hurt and it could be dangerous."

"I don't care. I started this, I need to see where it ends." Katherine stated.

"Gee, everyone is stubborn in this room." Victoria declared with a hint of amusement.

"Fine," Layla agreed. "You can come with us, now tell me where it is?"

"In Santorini, in a cave," Lara revealed. "I'll tell you more once we're there."

"You know, just in case you forget to bring us with you," Sam smirked.

Layla rolled her eyes. "Fine, we'll leave as soon as possible."

* * *

A few days later, Lara, Sam, and their companions were in Greece. Lara had told Layla everything she knew about the staff, Atlantis, and Pythagoras as they traveled and to her surprise, Layla had shared some information with them too, probably more for Katherine's sake than her own, but it meant they had reached a certain level of trust.

It was night time when their boat reached the coast of the island. They were at back, under the rain, getting ready to dive to find the entrance of the cave.

"Are you sure you should all go? It might not be safe in there." Victoria said worryingly.

"It was part of the deal," Lara stated, checking her scuba gear.

Layla felt Victoria's eyes on her. "Don't look at me, I tried but they are stubborn."

Victoria chuckled. "Pot calling the kettle black."

Lara looked at Katherine. "Are you sure you want to come with us?"

"Yes, I need closure," Katherine said resolutely.

The archaeologist nodded then turned to her wife. "I suppose I don't have to ask."

Sam winked and smiled. "Together, always."

"Alright, ladies." Layla stood up. "Let's find Atlantis!"

After swimming for more than 10 minutes, they finally reached the cave.

"Wow, it's more elaborate than I could have imagined. How did they build all this?" Layla marveled at the sight. "What I wouldn't pay for an Isu toolbox!"

Lara looked around, trying to spot the differences since they had visited the cave in the past. "It looks quite similar to what we saw in the simulation."

Sam saw the rubble on the floor and the fallen pillars. "Yeah, if you ignore the 'after storm' look it has."

"It's amazing…" Katherine breathed out.

"Is your arm okay?" Lara asked her friend.

Katherine smiled at her. "Yes, thank you."

"Good," Lara smiled back. "Let's keep going."

"I can't believe I'm here…" Layla let out a happy sigh before looking at the women behind her. "Do you know how to power up this place?"

"There used to be beams of light pointing at the pyramid above us. Maybe that's how it was powered." Lara suggested.

"We need to find the switch then." Sam declared.

"I think I remember where it is." Katherine stepped forward. "You should push the button on the pillar behind you."

Layla turned around and stared at the rock that looked like a barbecue fork. She nodded to herself before jumping across to reach it. "Everything in order, then… open sesame." She pushed the button and the pyramid came to life, projecting symbols and a holographic map of the earth. "So much power. The nodes are interconnected in ways I couldn't imagine…" Her radio crackled alive.

" _I'm recording everything, Layla_." Alannah Ryans said. " _You're going to be a hero for discovering this_."

" _Do you see the staff anywhere?_ " Victoria asked right after.

"Not yet, but there's more to explore. We'll find it." Layla responded. She looked at the pyramid in confusion. "The mechanism should be open, what's wrong?"

"Only three sides are illuminated, there should be four." The archaeologist pointed out.

"So a beam of light is missing." Layla nodded in understanding. "We just need to find the source of the light."

Lara looked up and raised her hand toward the alcove on the right wall. "It should come from here."

"Do you think it's the same mechanism we used to get in with Kassandra?" Sam asked.

"Probably, yes," Lara confirmed before looking at Layla. "I can go if you'd like."

Layla tilted her head. "Well, if you're offering."

Lara smiled before grabbing her pickaxes. "I'll try to be quick."

"Be careful," Sam told her as Lara climbed on the wall.

A few minutes later, the light shone on the pyramid. "It worked," Layla shouted happily. She looked around, waiting for a change, for the staff to appear or a secret safe to open but there was nothing. "Where is it?" She sighed, downcast, sitting on a rock.

Lara joined them back and noticed Layla's mood. "What happened?"

Sam shrugged. "Nothing."

They stayed silent for a moment, until they heard a noise coming from the back of the cave, followed by a voice.

"True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing." A man appeared in front of them. "A good friend of my sister said once."

Layla stood up and stared at the man like she was seeing a ghost. "Impossible, Alexios?"

"Kassandra's brother?" It was the last thing Lara had expected when they arrived in the cave. Kassandra had mentioned her brother a few times but she hadn't pictured him like that. He shared some physical traits with his sister but without the goddess-like aura Kassandra always exuded.

"How can he be alive?" Sam whispered. She could see the staff in his hand and realized it was probably one of its powers that Kassandra had refused to mention. It made sense since Pythagoras was also supposed to be dead.

"I can't believe it…" Katherine breathed out.

"I've been searching for you! But you can't…" Layla kept talking to Alexios, ignoring the women's comments.

"You weren't really looking for me, were you?" Alexios chuckled.

Layla smiled. "It worked, the Isu artifact, the staff of Hermes. It kept you alive. But why isn't Kassandra here?"

Alexios nodded. "You must have so many questions."

"I have one, do you know who I am?" Katherine stepped in front of him, not letting Layla the time to talk. "My name is Katherine Makris, my parents… I mean, Kassandra is one of my ancestors, you… we are family…" She said, her voice breaking.

"Katherine…" Alexios smiled slowly. "My child, you have her eyes…" He raised his hand and softly touched her cheek.

"I've been looking for my heritage for so long, a purpose… How can you be here? What happened to Kassandra?" Katherine questioned.

"Kassandra saved me and to repay her, I decided to carry her burden. It would be too long to explain, be I can show you." Alexios lifted the staff toward the pyramid and suddenly, a holographic memory played in front of them.

 _XXXXX_

 _'Kassandra and Alexios were in the same place as they were, clearly having a heated conversation about the staff._

 _"Are you sure about this?" Alexios questioned._

 _"No..." Kassandra sighed. "I feel torn between what I want and what I feel is my duty. I don't want to be like Pythagoras, I don't want to live forever and watch everyone I love die."_

 _"I can protect the staff and you can live your life, you deserve it." Alexios declared. "I know you only let me live for mater's sake but I can be useful."_

 _"It's not true, you are still my brother and I love you, Alexios. That's why I can't let you do this, I don't want that for you."_

 _"What do you want then?" Alexios asked. "For yourself, I mean."_

 _"I… I think I want to build a family, be happy. I feel like I have sacrificed enough already but it wouldn't be fair of me to put that burden on you. I'm your big sister, I'm supposed to protect you."_

 _Alexios put his hand on his sister's shoulder and squeezed it. "You did so it's my turn now. I'll keep the staff for the Heir. You told me everything there is to know and we have the same blood, I don't see why it wouldn't work."_

 _Kassandra pulled away. "It's not that simple, I have a destiny."_

 _"Fuck destiny." Alexios barked. "The oracles lied, they made me believe my family abandoned me when you and mater tried to fight for me."_

 _"Pythagoras said…" Kassandra started._

 _"Pythagoras has lost his mind!" Alexios cut her off._

 _"Alexios…"_

 _"I want to pay for my sins. I want to be a better man, someone you and mater can be proud of. I can do it and you can carry on with your life." Alexios insisted._

 _"I am so tired…" Kassandra sighed again. "I used to think I would never settle down, but after so many years of running and so many lost friends, that's all I can think about. I still want to be a misthios but no more prophecies, no more secret groups. I just want a place to call home… But it's a silly thought, people like us don't live long enough to…."_

 _"What is he doing here?" Pythagoras inquired, coming out of the shadow._

 _"I want to protect the staff, let me take Kassandra's place," Alexios stated._

 _Pythagoras shook his head. "You are not worthy, boy."_

 _"I'm not as good as my sister, and never will be, but all I'm asking is a chance to prove my worth," Alexios argued._

 _"Alexios, I said no. This isn't your fight!" Kassandra jumped in. "Pythagoras, I'm here to seal Atlantis."_

 _"You shouldn't have brought him here." Pythagoras stared at his daughter disapprovingly. "He's an enemy."_

 _"Not anymore, he's redeemed himself and will continue to do so." Kassandra defended him._

 _"Let her find her own path, I can take care of the staff." Alexios insisted once again._

 _"Humanity's fate will be decided by the choices you make and I do not trust you to choose wisely." Pythagoras retorted._

 _"I understand what's at stake." Alexios looked at his sister. "Kassandra, do you trust me?"_

 _"Of course," Kassandra answered right away. Since he had seen the light, her brother had been nothing but good. A good son, a good brother, a good friend to Phoibe and the others. Even when he was met by anger and distrust, he had tried to help the community, tried to be a better man._

 _Alexios nodded, grateful. "Do you believe I will make the right choices?"_

 _"I… I think so yes, but it's not about you! It's about me and my destiny."_

 _Alexios smiled at her. "Then I will make you proud, I promise…" In a swift motion, he pushed Pythagoras, catching the old man off guard and took the staff._

 _"What have you done?" Pythagoras cried. "It wasn't supposed to be this way…" He looked desperately at Kassandra before the light came out of his eyes._

 _"Pythagoras!" Kassandra rushed at his side.'_

 _XXXXX_

The hologram disappeared. "Kassandra was angry at first, she wanted more for me and felt guilty but in the end, she just embraced her freedom. She spent a lot of time with Phoibe and mater. I don't think she ever forgave Nikolaos for what happened, at least not completely, but he never questioned her… lifestyle, as you would call it nowadays, so it was good enough. We were a family again. Kassandra made sure I was alright and after a while, she asked Kyra for a second chance. They used Isu technology to have a child, which explains why you are here." Alexios proudly smiled at Katherine. "They settled in a remote place to be left alone. It wasn't always easy. My sister took good care of Kyra while she was pregnant. I loved that woman, she always kept Kassandra on her toes." He shook his head fondly. "But once their little girl could walk, Kassandra couldn't ignore the call of the sea anymore. Despite everything, my sister couldn't stay too long in one place but they compromised, and she always came home." He cleared his throat. "My niece was precious too, even my ass of stepbrother liked her and it says something. She was our hope, the new generation that would have a chance to grow up without the weight of our legacy, unlike my own child… Kassandra made sure of that, and you know her, she's stubborn." He laughed before smiling sadly. "I miss them so much…"

Katherine managed a watery laugh. "Was she happy?"

Alexios paused for a moment, thinking about his answer. "I think she was, yes."

"I'm glad to know she found peace," Sam said, leaning against Lara with a soft smile on her face.

Alexios turned toward the couple. "You must be Lara and Sam, right?"

Lara frowned. "How do you know?"

"My sister told me about her friends from the future. How they taught her there was more in life than just surviving. I think it helped her make peace with her choices. If she hadn't met you, there's a big chance she would be standing in front of you right now. So… thank you." He offered his hand.

"I'm sure it wasn't easy so thank you." Sam took his hand and pulled him closer for a hug, bringing Lara with her. "Too bad we couldn't say goodbye to her."

"I don't regret anything." Alexios broke the embrace. "I think I can help you with that. After more than 2000 years, I've discovered some tricks. See it as a parting gift." He tapped the Caduceus on the floor and suddenly, a light split the cave in two.

Once they were not blinded by the light anymore, they saw the water curtain in front of them. It was like a window between the past and the present. They looked more closely and noticed Kassandra talking to her brother who was mirroring the same posture as present Alexios.

"The Isu technology made it possible for her to remember you two, I don't know how but be grateful. The spell won't last long so hurry. Katherine, I'm sorry but she can't see you, she isn't with Kyra yet and I don't want to influence her choices…" Alexios apologized.

Katherine nodded. "I understand…"

"What is going on?" They heard Kassandra asked.

"Kassie, it's you!" Sam exclaimed gleefully.

Kassandra stared at her in surprise. "Prinkipissa?"

"Hi!" Lara waved.

Kassandra's eyes grew wider. "Lara!" Her hand hovered close to the water curtain. "You left so abruptly and I worried for so long."

"Sorry, we were able to leave the simulation, the… uh, the Heir of memories helped us. She was the voice Sam heard before entering the cave." Lara tried to explain.

"How can I talk to you right now then?" The misthios questioned.

"It's the staff. It's safe here in the future," Lara assured her. "You don't have to worry anymore."

"You did it." Kassandra laughed in relief.

"Well, it was a team effort." Lara glanced at Layla and Katherine. "But yes."

Kassandra smiled gratefully. "I'm glad to hear it. Thank you!"

"We don't have much time," Sam declared. "We just wanted to say goodbye and to wish you and your family the best."

"Thank you, you are good friends," Kassandra said wholeheartedly.

Sam smiled at her. "We'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too. May the fates be with you and may Artemis guide your bow." Kassandra put her hand on the invisible barrier. "Chaire."

Sam and Lara put their joined hands on the water curtain, just where Kassandra's was. "Chaire." Then, the curtain disappeared. Sam wiped her tears away and held her wife close.

Lara nodded at Alexios. "Thank you."

Alexios nodded back before joining Layla. "I think you want this." He handed the Caduceus to Layla, keeping his hand on it even after the woman had grabbed it. "Listen to me, Order, Chaos, if either triumphs alone, the world dies. I tried to bring an end to chaos and it has only led to ruin."

"I used to assist order, now I fight for choice, freedom, chaos," Layla assured him.

"Pythagoras and my sister were right, you are the key to the prophecy." Alexios declared. "You will restore the balance, Layla."

"If I am your collateral descendant, why can't I do it?" Katherine asked.

"I have fought in too many wars. I have seen too many people die. I have traveled from one end of the Earth to the other. I do not wish that fate for you, Kassandra wouldn't either." Alexios replied. "The staff belongs to Layla. But you, my child, you have your freedom, you can choose your fate, like my sister did. Live on for us and be happy."

Katherine sniffled. "I'll try." She hugged him.

Once Katherine stepped away, Alexios focused back on Layla. "Promise me one thing, when you're done, destroy it, destroy them all." He let go of the staff. "I hope two millennia of good actions were enough." His hair turned grey before he fell. Katherine quickly gathered him in her arms.

Alexios groaned as he felt life leave his body. "I am honored to have met you."

"Me too." Katherine kissed his forehead, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Alexios smiled. "Gea, Mater pandos, chaire…"

* * *

Lara, Sam, and Katherine were back on the boat while Layla was still exploring the cave.

"What are you going to do now?" Katherine asked the couple.

"We definitely need a few days off after this," Sam exclaimed, finally feeling the exhaustion of the past few days. "We're going to stay in Greece a bit longer."

"What about you?" Lara questioned.

"I talked to Layla and Kiyoshi, they said I could join the Assassins and help," Katherine told them with a hint of pride. "I've been looking for a purpose for so long, and I think this is it."

"Is it wise? I mean, it looks pretty dangerous." Sam answered.

Katherine smirked. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you care about me, Samantha."

"Shut up!" Sam snorted. "I guess, like an annoying distant relative, you've grown on me a bit."

"The feeling is mutual." Katherine chuckled.

"Sam is right, though, it could be dangerous." After seeing what the Templars could do, Lara couldn't help but worry about her friend.

"I appreciate your concern, really but I want to do it." Katherine smiled. "I won't go on the field. If I've learned anything from our journey, it's that I'm far from having your skills, Lara. I mean, you're amazing, but I can help them with their research."

"Okay, okay, back off, Makris, she's taken," Sam said as they all laughed.

Lara turned serious. "Come to see us when you're back in London."

"I will," Katherine promised.

"I can bring you back to the shore if you'd like." Kiyoshi offered.

"Yes!" Sam exclaimed. "Thank you."

Lara looked at her with amusement. "Someone seems eager."

"Sweetie, we have a room with a Jacuzzi waiting for us, who wouldn't be?" Sam smiled.

Lara laughed, kissing her wife's cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

 **********NOTES*********

 **\- While visiting Mykonos last summer, I found a shop called Makris, and I thought it was a sign that I chose the name well for Kassandra's descendant!**

 **\- Regarding Odyssey, I didn't like the staff part. I know it was to connect the story with the franchise and the Assassins but yeah, not a fan of Kassandra sacrificing herself once again. And don't even get me started with the DLCs, if you have an animus that can access memories of people just with their DNA, why do you need to have a baby for the bloodline and a keeper that is immortal? The staff could have been hidden or given to someone else later one without the "Immortality" part. I don't know, I just didn't like it. I think what makes Kassandra's journey so great is that despite everything, she's human (with enhanced strength and coming from a long line of warriors, since Leonidas thought he was a descendant of Herakles, but still human). When she slowly turned into some half Isu goddess, it takes away the charm.**

 **\- The videos I watched of the Atlantis dlc also made me questioned Layla and the whole keeper and heir of memories concept. The whole story is full of simulation in a simulation like it's Inception or something. Layla kinda turned into a psycho and it looked like she was not so deserving of the staff after all, so I thought you know what, I'm gonna make my own ending, and let Alexios live so he can pay for his sins, since apparently, the staff can't fall into the "wrong hands" is a very large and lenient concept and give Kassandra all the love she deserves.**


End file.
